Language Assistance under the Voting Rights Act: Are Voters Lost in Translation

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Language Assistance under the Voting Rights Act provides an interesting and unique approach to the problem of translating minority language ballots and evaluating the causes and effects of differences in the translated ballot language. As a whole, this book demonstrates the strong relationship between accessibility, state policy, and the role this has on participation among minority language voters, particularly in the area of direct democracy. This offers insight into the complex relationship that has evolved into the current state of governance across the United States, as well as how covered jurisdictions interact with federally mandated language assistance. By looking at this relationship from a variety of standpointsincluding historical and policy analysis, interviews, and statistical analysisthis book shows a new perspective of the translation process and the implications for minority voters and their efficacy.

Reviews

Dr. Reilly begins a conversation that is both vital in an applied policy sense, and also grounded in theoretical principals of political participation and policy implementation. Reilly points out that while the national government has created guidelines concerning translation of ballots and voting materials more generally, ultimately, state and local governments have control over implementation. How readable the translations are is key to meaningful political participation on the part of individuals with limited English proficiency. -- Martha Kropf, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
This book raises a number of interesting questions about the extent and implementation of the language assistance provisions of the Voting Rights Act, including coverage as it relates to Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, and Native Alaskan populations. Reilly pulls together information from a variety of government and academic sources, as well as from interviews with bureaucrats and community members, to present a detailed overview of the history and effect of these provisions. Most powerful is her analysis of the extent and causes of differences in translations provided to voters, particularly in Spanish but with illustrative examples from other languages as well. While Spanish translations often result in ballot measure descriptions that are more easily read than their English counterparts, translations to other languages have sometimes made those measures indecipherable. Later chapters explore the causes of these sources of variation in translation quality and provide helpful tips for election officials and community activists hoping to improve language access for covered populations, such as the tendency of professional translators to use formal language, which can result in reduced readability. A dense volume packed with references and data. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. * CHOICE *

Author Bio

Shauna Reilly is associate professor in political science at Northern Kentucky University.