June 7, 2023
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Earlier this week, the Nevada Legislature passed AB 246, a pro-voter bill that will increase language accessibility for elections held in the state. In response to the bill’s passage, All Voting is Local Action Nevada Campaign Manager Mary Janet Ramos released the following statement:
“The passage of AB 246 is a huge step forward for the diverse communities in Nevada. This bill is the first step in ensuring our election departments are ready to serve the language needs of all Nevadans. It will increase the number of voter resources, such as sample ballots, voter education materials, and language translation services provided in various languages.”
“Dismantling language-related barriers to the ballot is crucial to empowering voters whose primary language isn’t English so that they can cast their ballots based on accurately translated information about candidates and ballot measures. Nevada’s diverse and growing populations deserve equitable access to election materials in our native languages, and this is why we urge Gov. Joe Lombardo to sign AB 246 into law.”
Background
Last April, in partnership with several groups, All Voting is Local Nevada released “Ballots for All: Improving Language Access for Nevada Voters” in English and Spanish to highlight the need for translated ballots and voter education materials in the state. The group’s analysis of geographic and census data revealed nearly half a million Nevadans over the age of 18 speak a language other than English, with over 125,000 of them being people whose primary language is not English, underscoring the need for more counties to provide voting materials in the languages voters speak. This year, AVL Action Nevada released an updated Ballots for All: Improving Language Access for Nevada Voters fact sheet in English and Spanish with updated data and policy recommendations.
The primary sponsors of the bill are: Assemblywoman Selena Torres, Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola, Assemblyman Howard Watts, and Assemblywoman Cecelia González.