Advocates Urge House Ways & Means Committee to Vote Favorably on HB983

Annapolis, MD – HB983, the language access component of the Maryland Voting Rights Act legislative package, was heard in the House of Delegates Ways & Means Committee today. This legislation would expand language access for Maryland voters, ensuring that voters with limited English proficiency have access to the ballot box.

“As we enter an era of increasing uncertainty on the continuation of federal voting rights protections, Maryland needs its own standards to protect access to voting,” said bill sponsor Delegate Bernice Mireku-North (D-Montgomery). “Continuing to rely solely on the federal framework ignores Maryland’s growing language minority communities, who will benefit from the increased language-related assistance and materials provided in the bill. This includes Maryland’s sizable French, Amharic, and Arabic-speaking communities. This bill will also benefit Maryland’s growing Hispanic communities by expanding Spanish language assistance. As Maryland communities continue to diversify, House Bill 983 is a necessary continuation of the effort to ensure all voters, regardless of language proficiency, have access to the ballot.”

Maryland is the most diverse state on the East Coast, and has a large number of limited English proficient voters. While Maryland has worked hard to strengthen voting accessibility, voters only benefit if the options for voting and the overall process are in a language they can understand.

“Maryland is home to four of the most ethnically diverse municipalities in the nation, and nearly 79% of Maryland voters support expanding language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency,” said Isabelle Muhlbauer, National Advocacy Manager of Voting Rights at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “Uninhibited access to the ballot is at the core of a representative democracy. Approving the Maryland Voting Act would help ensure that all voters, including historically marginalized communities, can freely have their voices heard at the ballot box.”

HB983 would provide more access for limited English proficient voters by requiring a county to provide assistance in a particular language when those who speak that language make up at least 2% of the population (and number and least 100 people) or have a total population of at least 4,000. This is a lower threshold than the federal VRA, and would expand language access in more places.

Under the legislation, the State Board of Elections would determine which places meet this threshold every two years based on census data. HB983 requires translation of all election related materials, excluding ballots, establishes a process for ensuring the accuracy of the translations, and encourages recruitment of election judges who speak the languages meeting the threshold in each jurisdiction.

“I grew up in a mixed household where Haitian Creole was spoken at home. My mom is a naturalized citizen and votes in each election, but language still sometimes serves as a barrier,” said Joanne Antoine, Executive Director of Common Cause Maryland.  “Things like complicated ballot questions can be hard to understand, even for a person whose first language is English. It’s that much more difficult for a lot of new American voters. Thankfully, she has me to support, but many other voters don’t have access to that assistance. The passage of HB 983 would ensure that our elections are genuinely inclusive by expanding our translations to cover even the Caribbean and African languages.”

“Every Marylander should be able to make their voice heard without barriers. Citizens should not face barriers like a lack of meaningful language assistance as they seek to make their voices heard and participate meaningfully in our democracy,” said Lata Nott, senior legal counsel for voting rights at Campaign Legal Center. “Maryland has the chance to go above and beyond federal language assistance requirements and assure new American communities that their political participation is both welcome and encouraged.”

The full hearing can be viewed here.