EAC - Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Name : | Eugene Lee
Organization : | Asian Pacific American Legal Ctr. of So. CA
Post Date : | 9/30/2005
Section Comments
Section : | 2.2.7
Page no. : | 2-30, 31
Line no.: |
Comment : | Comments on Volume I, Section 2, Voting System Functional Capabilities, Pages 2-30 to 2-31 2. The voting process shall be accessible to voters who are not fully *literate* +proficient+ in English. This requirement may be satisfied by providing voting stations in a polling place that accommodate those without a full command of English. See HAVA 301 (a)(4) and 241 (b)(5). Such a facility is referred to herein as an alternative language voting station (ALVS). HAVA Section 301 (a)(4) reads: "ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY.--The voting system shall provide alternative language accessibility pursuant to the requirements of section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a)." The requirements within Section 2.2.7.2 are intended to address this mandate. Ideally every voter would be able to vote independently and privately, regardless of language. As a practical matter, alternative language access is mandated under the Voting Rights Act of *1975* +1965+, subject to certain thresholds, e.g., if the language group exceeds 5% of the voting age citizens. Note that the provision of an audio interface for people with visual disabilities as described in Section 2.2.7.1 may also assist voters who speak English, but are unable to read it,+ and voters who speak a language other than English but are illiterate in such language.+