California Governor Jerry Brown this week signed a bill written to assist citizens that lack required proficiency in English to successfully fill out election ballots.
The LA Times reports that the current laws did not provide non-native English speakers with sufficient assistance to vote in the 2016 election. In fact, only “25 percent of polling places required to provide a “facsimile ballot” in another language actually did so”.
Assembly Bill 918 does three things. First, it promotes the facsimile ballot on the election website so that more voters know about them and can use them in future elections. Second, it provides assistance to people who send their ballots in through the mail. Third, it increases the distribution of non-English sample ballots in specific precincts that require the extra assistance.
Although the laws previously in place made it difficult for many Asian and Hispanic people in California to vote, Assembly Bill 918 will help the voters and possibly increase voter turnout.
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