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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) is a landmark law that created legal procedures to stop race-based discrimination in voting and move the country closer to an inclusive and representative democracy.
It contains mechanisms for the Department of Justice to hold states and localities accountable
State and local language access policies are crucial for ensuring that voters can cast a ballot in a language they understand.
Critically, they can expand language access to voters who have no protection under federal law—namely, communities that are categorically excluded from the Voting Rights Act
The right to vote is a cornerstone of a just, multiracial democracy. But for millions of Americans, language poses a significant barrier to voting.
Census data identifies roughly 26 million people in the United States who, by federal government standards, are “limited English proficient” (LEP)
The United States is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world.
According to census data collected from 2017 to 2021, there are more than 500 different languages spoken in the U.S. and approximately 67 million people who speak a language other than English at home. This
Dēmos is a movement-oriented think tank committed to racial justice.
Through research, litigation, strategic communications, and deep partnerships with grassroots organizations across the country, we build power with and for Black and brown communities. Each of our staff members—regardless of