Floridians Must Have Access to Spanish-language ballots

Statement to be attributed to Demos Senior Counsel Stuart Naifeh

Demos is pleased to see Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Laurel Lee take seriously their obligation under the Voting Rights Act to provide Spanish-language ballots and voting assistance.  

Following the lawsuit Demos and its partners filed last year, DeSantis has directed Lee to begin the process of adopting two rules related to making elections accessible for Spanish-Speaking Floridians: Spanish-language ballots will be required throughout Florida, and the state will update the requirements for polling place procedures to require assistance at polling sites for Spanish-speaking voters.

Demos looks forward to helping craft robust rules that ensure Spanish-speaking Floridians have as meaningful an opportunity to participate in the democratic process as their fellow citizens who speak English. The rulemaking process has its limits, however, and until we can see and evaluate the final rules, there is still a need for judicial involvement to guarantee all Floridians have an equal say in our democracy.

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