Breaking language barriers at the ballot box: How one nonprofit is helping Nashvillians

WTVF, 7/19/23

“The process itself of voting can be one that is already tricky. Imagine that for folks, who English isn’t their first language,” said Luis Mata, policy coordinator for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and TIRRC Votes. Davidson County is not required to provide interpreters at polling locations, and ballots are only offered in English. Per Davidson County Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts, under the Voting Rights Act, jurisdictions must provide interpretation services when a population of more than 10,000 people or more than 5% of voting-age citizens are members of a single language minority group. He said Tennessee did not meet the population trigger in the 2020 Census. That’s why the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition is offering interpretation services to those who want to vote.