Golden State Today

A coalition of organizations, including the Asian Law Caucus, California Common Cause, and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), has introduced a new bill, SB 266, aimed at enhancing language inclusivity in California elections. The bill, authored by Senator Sabrina Cervantes, was unveiled in Sacramento with the intention of maintaining California's leadership in fostering inclusive democracy.

Senator Cervantes emphasized the role of diversity in California's identity: “One of the reasons we are proud to call California home is that our state is one of the most diverse in the country. We must continue to embrace and elevate our diversity to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to thrive. That’s what Senate Bill 266 will help achieve,” she explained. “Whether a lawfully registered voter speaks English or not, they should have a voice in our government and be able to cast a ballot fairly and equally.”

The proposed legislation would expand the availability of votable ballots in multiple languages across California counties. Specifically, it would include Spanish ballots in 28 additional counties, Tagalog in 23 additional counties, and ballots in languages such as Amharic, Armenian, Arabic, Russian, and Somali, which have previously been excluded by federal law.

The coalition supporting SB 266 argues that current federal and state laws have not kept pace with California's diverse population. Deanna Kitamura from the Asian Law Caucus noted, “For democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all; but federal and state laws have not kept up with California’s growing and diverse population.” She added that the state's strength is bolstered when all residents can vote equally.

Pedro Hernandez of California Common Cause highlighted the importance of understanding one's voting choices: “Every vote matters, and ensuring voters can cast an informed ballot means protecting their right to representation.” Meanwhile, Viveka Ray-Mazumder from PANA pointed out that current practices like translated sample ballots are insufficient, describing them as a "confusing, ineffective bandaid" and identified SB 266 as a vital improvement for Californian voters.

The initiative is part of a larger national movement, with other examples including voter registration in languages like Somali and Russian in Washington, and votable ballots in Arabic in parts of Michigan. In 2020, Los Angeles County collected data indicating a significant demand for ballots in languages other than English.

Reshad Noorzay from CAIR-SV/CC highlighted the urgency given the forthcoming expiration of Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act: “With SB 266, we can commit to being a state where every voter has equal say.” Cha Vang of AAPIFORCE added, “As a statewide network of organizations that promote the civic empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, we strive to build a just democracy where our communities can fully participate in decision making on issues which affect our everyday lives.”

Finally, Hector Villagra of MALDEF emphasized the necessity of ensuring informed voting across diverse languages, stating, “Democracy requires inclusivity. By joining together to pass SB 266, we can bring votable ballots in Spanish to 28 counties, including Santa Cruz, Solano, and Yolo.”