Expanding the VOTE Act

Expanding the VOTE Act (S. 2589) would broaden and strengthen language protections under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bill expands what counts as “voting materials” to include digital content in addition to printed notices, forms, instructions, and ballots. It adds enforcement and notification provisions that push states to address language needs in political subdivisions and requires the Attorney General to notify jurisdictions that are near or below existing language-minority thresholds. The act adds new requirements for providing voting materials in minority languages and introduces a grant program to help jurisdictions cover translation costs for languages not already protected under current law. It also initiates a study to assess changes to threshold levels and to broaden the definition of language minority groups, including adding languages such as Arabic, French, and Haitian Creole. A notable feature is the updated approach to American Indian and Alaska Native languages. The bill requires translations in many cases but creates exceptions for unwritten languages, with a special provision ensuring written translations for election workers when approved by tribal governments. It also defines tribal government and clarifies how translations should be handled to support accuracy and consistency. Overall, the bill seeks to improve access to voting for voters with language barriers by expanding translation requirements, providing funding to support those translations, and studying how to broaden protections in the future.