Ballot blather: My fellow editors wonder sometimes how I can tolerate wingnut newsletters in my inbox. Sometimes I wonder myself. Here’s one I received yesterday that beggars understanding:
Offering foreign language ballots while at the same time emphasizing the importance of learning English sends mixed signals to those seeking to assimilate into American society.
ALERT: Our friends at Eagle Forum have notified us that this week, the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 9, reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Within this legislation is a provision, originally added in 1975 (ten years after passage of the original VRA in 1965), which mandates the use of foreign language ballots in U.S. elections. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has offered an amendment repealing this dangerous provision, but we have learned that House Republican leadership refuses to allow a vote on his amendment.
Foreign language ballots don’t make civic sense. You can’t vote unless you are a citizen (at least you’re not supposed to). To become a naturalized American citizen, our law requires that you demonstrate “an understanding of the English language, including an ability to read, write and speak… simple words and phrases… in ordinary usage in the English language.”
Foreign language ballots are costly to both taxpayers and local municipalities. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that Los Angeles County taxpayers spent $1.1 million to provide ballots and election materials in five languages in 1996, escalating to $3.3 million in seven languages in March 2002. In several counties, the cost of foreign-language ballots is more than half the entire election expense!
In light of the Senate recently passing a bill granting AMNESTY to 12 million illegal aliens and importing up to 66 million NEW legal immigrants, America needs linguistic unity more than ever. Offering foreign language ballots while at the same time emphasizing the importance of learning English sends mixed signals to those seeking to assimilate into American society.
Now I won’t get into the lexigraphical meaning of all caps (SHOUTING!!!), but I will argue that translating ballot blather into Spanish and Creole is a good idea, at least in Miami. Here’s why:
The Town Charter currently provides that a general election shall be on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in October of each even-numbered year. It is proposed that the Town Charter be amended to provide that if a County general election is scheduled in the first two weeks of October in an even-numbered year, the Town election shall be held on that County election date.
Shall the above described amendment be adopted?
One might know enough English to fulfill workday duties, manage grocery transactions and generally get along in society, but still not be able to understand the gobbledegook that passes as ballot language. I hardly know what the heck I’m being asked to vote on in the above ballot initiative. Is this “ordinary usage in the English language?”
Like the gay-marriage Constitutional amendment proposal, the proposal to eliminate translation of ballots into languages other than English discriminatory and not in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution. Indeed, it would be the equivalent of reinstituting a poll tax — if you can’t read and fully understand ballotese, you can’t vote. Hmmm, my guess is that might disqualify a lot of the mouth-breathing knuckle-draggers who typically vote Republican ….