Re: Helen Boswell's Nov. 28 letter, "Why bilingual ballots?":
The letter writer implores citizens to "demand an explanation" from officeholders as to why the county and state print bilingual ballots. The "explanation" is an easy one and has been for more than 30 years: Bilingual ballots are required by federal law.
Since 1975, when President Ford signed into law amendments to the Voting Rights Act, that act has mandated that ballots and other voting materials be provided in languages besides English when census statistics show a substantial population of limited-English-proficient, voting-age citizens in a particular political subdivision.
In passing the multilingual requirement, Congress found that "where state and local officials conduct elections only in English, language minority citizens are excluded from participating in the electoral process." It also recognized that "the use of English, as the sole language throughout the electoral process, continues to be discriminatory and has a direct and invidious impact upon the ability of such populations to participate actively in the electoral process."
Anything — like the longstanding, bipartisan commitment to multilingual ballots — that increases informed citizen participation in our American democracy is something to be applauded, not criticized.
— David S. Ettinger, Oak Park
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