Local and national organizations, that are working to ensure that the rights of limited English proficiency voters are protected, will be operating a hotline to help the public with any questions or problems related to the elections and voting today.

Among them, Congreso, Ceiba, the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania (HBAPA), the Committee of Seventy, and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).

“The most important thing is to protect the right to vote for everybody, including people who don’t speak English”, said Will Gonzalez, president of HBAPA. “In counties like Philadelphia, Berks and Lehigh, federal law requires that all information related to the elections in English is also available in Spanish”.

Gonzalez is referencing Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which covers Philadelphia as Spanish speakers represent at least 5 per cent of the voting age population. 

Additionally, some divisions will have interpreters. 

“If they don’t have an interpreter in your polling place they must provide a line for interpreters,” Gonzalez said. “In Philadelphia they are doing this for all languages, not just Spanish”.

For more information, call 888-839-8682 or visit http://veyvota.yaeshora.info/state?id=0039 or http://www.seventy.org