Teh One Who Knocks
08-19-2011, 12:14 PM
Written by Will Ripley - 9 News Colorado
http://i.imgur.com/c7y0N.jpg
DENVER - Election night is still months away, but a debate over the language on ballots is heating up.
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) plans to introduce legislation to repeal Section 203 of the 1973 Voting Rights Act. The section deals with printing ballots in more than one language.
Coffman says it comes down to money. Others say it prevents people who don't speak English from voting.
"This is about cost and who makes the decision," Coffman said. "Since these local governments are bearing the cost, they ought to be made by local governments."
Ten Colorado counties currently have to provide dual-language ballots. Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Denver, Otero, Rio Grande and Saguache Counties print ballots in English and Spanish.
La Plata and Montezuma Counties provide interpreters for Native American residents.
Sixteen other counties are expected to get federal orders this month to provide dual-language ballots when 2010 census data is analyzed.
Those counties are Adams, Arapahoe, Bent, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Kit Carson, Lake, Montrose, Morgan, Phillips, Pitkin, Prowers, Summit, Weld and Yuma.
Coffman says printing Spanish ballots will cost $350,000 in Arapahoe County, $100,000 in Weld County, and will double the mailing and printing costs in smaller counties.
Elena Nunez, program director for the nonprofit voter rights group Colorado Common Cause, says changing the law would make it more difficult to vote for U.S. citizens who don't speak English.
"We're talking about U.S. citizens who have the right to vote," Nunez said. "From our perspective, we should be passing policies that encourage participation, not discourage it."
At Washington Park in Denver, two co-workers sat at a picnic table and had a discussion which mirrored the national debate.
Richard Jenkins thinks the ballots should be printed only in English. Trent Bossley thinks they should be available in other languages.
"Where does it stop? You start with two languages then you go to three languages," Jenkins said. "How do we all communicate if we can't at least speak the same language?"
"I don't think we should print these in a hundred different languages, but maybe having them available on the Internet or something like that," Bossley said. "Maybe there's a good middle ground here."
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is taking a neutral stance on the issue, according to his communications and policy advisor Andrew Cole.
"Secretary Gessler is focused on making sure Colorado is in compliance with the law," Cole said. "We are working on plans to ensure any newly covered counties are prepared to provide dual language ballots for the election this fall. If Congress were to change the law, we would make sure to comply with the new law."
http://i.imgur.com/c7y0N.jpg
DENVER - Election night is still months away, but a debate over the language on ballots is heating up.
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) plans to introduce legislation to repeal Section 203 of the 1973 Voting Rights Act. The section deals with printing ballots in more than one language.
Coffman says it comes down to money. Others say it prevents people who don't speak English from voting.
"This is about cost and who makes the decision," Coffman said. "Since these local governments are bearing the cost, they ought to be made by local governments."
Ten Colorado counties currently have to provide dual-language ballots. Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Denver, Otero, Rio Grande and Saguache Counties print ballots in English and Spanish.
La Plata and Montezuma Counties provide interpreters for Native American residents.
Sixteen other counties are expected to get federal orders this month to provide dual-language ballots when 2010 census data is analyzed.
Those counties are Adams, Arapahoe, Bent, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Kit Carson, Lake, Montrose, Morgan, Phillips, Pitkin, Prowers, Summit, Weld and Yuma.
Coffman says printing Spanish ballots will cost $350,000 in Arapahoe County, $100,000 in Weld County, and will double the mailing and printing costs in smaller counties.
Elena Nunez, program director for the nonprofit voter rights group Colorado Common Cause, says changing the law would make it more difficult to vote for U.S. citizens who don't speak English.
"We're talking about U.S. citizens who have the right to vote," Nunez said. "From our perspective, we should be passing policies that encourage participation, not discourage it."
At Washington Park in Denver, two co-workers sat at a picnic table and had a discussion which mirrored the national debate.
Richard Jenkins thinks the ballots should be printed only in English. Trent Bossley thinks they should be available in other languages.
"Where does it stop? You start with two languages then you go to three languages," Jenkins said. "How do we all communicate if we can't at least speak the same language?"
"I don't think we should print these in a hundred different languages, but maybe having them available on the Internet or something like that," Bossley said. "Maybe there's a good middle ground here."
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is taking a neutral stance on the issue, according to his communications and policy advisor Andrew Cole.
"Secretary Gessler is focused on making sure Colorado is in compliance with the law," Cole said. "We are working on plans to ensure any newly covered counties are prepared to provide dual language ballots for the election this fall. If Congress were to change the law, we would make sure to comply with the new law."