June 16, 2023
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Today, Governor Lombardo vetoed AB 246, a pro-voter bill that would have increased language accessibility for elections held in the state. In response to Gov. Lombardo’s veto, All Voting is Local Action Nevada Campaign Manager Mary Janet Ramos released the following statement:
“We are extremely disappointed that Gov. Lombardo vetoed AB 246. This law would have been a huge step forward for the diverse communities in Nevada, especially those communities with large numbers of voters whose primary language isn’t English. It would have ensured our election departments and the Secretary of State were ready to serve the language needs of all Nevadans, because it would have increased the number of voter resources, such as sample ballots and voter education materials, and would have provided a free statewide hotline translation service that would have been available in different languages.”
“Dismantling language-related barriers to the ballot is crucial to empowering voters whose primary language isn’t English so that they can confidently vote based on accurately translated information on how they can register to vote and safely cast a ballot, access their voting options, and learn about candidates and ballot measures. Nevada’s diverse and growing populations deserve equitable access to election materials in their native languages, and we’re disheartened that Gov. Lombardo prevented this by vetoing AB 246.”
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.