More than 24 Million Voters Can’t Meet English Proficiency

More than 24 million American voters can’t meet English proficiency requirements according to figures cited by the National Conference of State Legislatures. President Trump signed an executive order last year declaring English the national language, but more than 13% of all eligible voters require bilingual assistance, ballots, or election information in order to vote. Most of these are immigrants (or anchor babies) who were granted citizenship without proving English proficiency. If we’re not requiring immigrants to learn English before they become citizens, then they will never assimilate into our culture. Our government has crafted a set of election laws that makes it easy for these individuals to have a say in our laws without even needing to speak our language.

Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act requires certain jurisdictions to provide election materials and assistance in designated languages when population and other statutory thresholds are met. The requirements can include translated ballots, voter registration forms, election notices, sample ballots and assistance at polling locations. The Census Bureau’s latest rulings covered 331 jurisdictions across 30 states, up from 263 jurisdictions in 2016.

That is a substantial expansion of the administrative burden placed on election officials and taxpayers. Instead of conducting elections in English, local governments must prepare for elections involving numerous languages, recruit bilingual poll workers, coordinate translation services and ensure that voters receive election information in their preferred language. (Note that that these immigrants that come to an English-speaking country and want to become citizens refuse to speak our language.)

We’re told that “diversity is our strength,” but America’s strength has never depended on millions of people that don’t share our culture, our values, or our language. English proficiency should be a bare minimum requirement to be a citizen, and a bare minimum requirement in order to vote.