Language Access

The right to vote is a fundamental right guaranteed to all citizens of the United States. But many citizens, especially those who have recently naturalized, are not fully comfortable speaking and understanding English and cannot effectively participate in the electoral process. Barriers to understanding voting materials, such as voter registration forms, ballots and complicated referenda issues that appear on ballots, can discourage many citizens from exercising their right to vote.

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Right to Assistance in Your Language

Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires certain counties and jurisdictions to provide bilingual voting materials in communities with language minorities and limited-English proficient residents, was enacted by Congress in 1975 upon recognizing that certain minority citizens experienced historical discrimination and disenfranchisement due to limited English proficiency. This means that all information provided in English must also be provided in the covered languages, including written materials, oral assistance at polling sites, and publicity prior to Election Day about the availability of language assistance at polling sites. The most recent determinations were made in 2016. 

Download our in-language guides to Section 203, and find more information for how to get in-language materials in areas covered by Section 203 at the links to elections offices below.  To learn more about the most recent section 203 coverage and Asian Americans, download the factsheet here.

Bengali (বাংলা)

Chinese (中文)

Hindi (हिंदी)

Japanese (日本語)

Khmer (ខ្មែរ)

Korean (한국어)

Tagalog

Thai

Vietnamese (tiếng Việt)