H.R. 2054, the Voting Only Through English Act or “VOTE Act,” would push states to run federal elections with ballots in English only by tying access to federal funding to that practice. Specifically, if a state’s ballots for federal offices include any text in a language other than English, that state would be ineligible to receive federal funds for administering elections for federal office in that fiscal year. The bill states this funding limitation “notwithstanding” the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or any other law, meaning it would override existing funding rules. In addition, the bill seeks to roll back certain protections currently in the Voting Rights Act by eliminating specific prohibitions related to English-language elections (amending Section 4(f) of the VRA). Taken together, the bill would effectively promote English-only ballots for federal elections and reduce statutory protections that scholars and advocates have used to argue for language-access measures for voters with limited English proficiency. The bill is introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to the Judiciary and House Administration committees.
Key Points
- 1English-only ballots for federal elections: States would be eligible for federal funds to run federal elections only if their ballots are in English; any non-English text on federal ballots would trigger ineligibility for those funds for that year.
- 2Federal funding focus: The funding limitation applies specifically to funds used for administering elections for federal office, not to all state or local programs.
- 3Override of existing law: The funding rule explicitly states it operates notwithstanding the Voting Rights Act and other laws.
- 4Elimination of English-only protections in the VRA: The bill amends Section 4(f) of the Voting Rights Act to remove certain prohibitions related to English-language elections, effectively loosening protections that previously constrained English-only or language-access requirements.
- 5Mutual title and sponsorship: Short title is the Voting Only Through English Act or the VOTE Act; introduced in the House by Rep. Hamadeh (and several co-sponsors), referred to the Judiciary and House Administration.