Maryland State Wire

HB983, a bill aimed at expanding language access for voters in Maryland, was discussed in the House of Delegates Ways & Means Committee. The proposal is part of the Maryland Voting Rights Act legislative package and seeks to assist voters with limited English proficiency.

Delegate Bernice Mireku-North (D-Montgomery), who sponsors the bill, stated, "As we enter an era of increasing uncertainty on the continuation of federal voting rights protections, Maryland needs its own standards to protect access to voting." She emphasized that relying solely on federal frameworks overlooks Maryland's diverse language communities and noted that HB983 would benefit these groups by providing more language-related assistance.

Maryland is recognized as a diverse state with many residents facing language barriers. Isabelle Muhlbauer from LatinoJustice PRLDEF highlighted that nearly 79% of Maryland voters support expanding language assistance for those with limited English proficiency. "Uninhibited access to the ballot is at the core of a representative democracy," she said.

The proposed legislation requires counties to offer language assistance when a particular language group constitutes at least 2% of the population or numbers at least 4,000 people. This threshold is lower than current federal requirements, allowing broader access.

Under HB983, the State Board of Elections would identify areas meeting these criteria biennially using census data. The bill mandates translation services for election materials and promotes recruiting bilingual election judges.

Joanne Antoine from Common Cause Maryland shared her personal experience regarding language barriers faced by her Haitian Creole-speaking family members. She remarked that even native English speakers find some ballot questions challenging. Antoine expressed hope that HB983 would make elections more inclusive by extending translations to Caribbean and African languages.

Lata Nott from Campaign Legal Center stressed the importance of removing obstacles like insufficient language support: "Every Marylander should be able to make their voice heard without barriers."

The hearing can be viewed online for those interested in further details about HB983.