A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 17-19 of the General Laws entitled "Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:
17-19-22.1. Bilingual poll workers. -- Any board which determines that it requires ballots printed in a language other than English pursuant to the provisions of subsection 17-19-54(a) shall provide at each polling place at least one (1) individual who is fluent in the language for each language for which such ballots were sought. Such person or persons shall be available to assist voters in casting their ballots upon request by the individual or at the direction of the warden during all hours of poll operations. In addition, such person or persons shall otherwise comply with the provisions of section 17-19-26.1.
17-19-54. Bilingual voting material requirements. - (a) Pursuant to Section 203 of the Federal Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973aa-la, a city or town shall be subject to the provisions of the bilingual voting materials requirement whenever the Director of the Census determines, based on census data, that (1)(i) more than five percent (5%) of the citizens of voting age of a city or town are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient; or (b) more than ten thousand (10,000) of the citizens of voting age of a city or town are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient; and (ii) the illiteracy rate of the citizens in the language minority as a group is higher than the national illiteracy rate.
(b) Whenever a city or town subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots, it shall provide them in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in the English language.
(c) Whenever the state provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots, to a city or town subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, it shall provide them in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in the English language.
(d) The provisions of this section shall apply to all ballots issued or required under the provisions of this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.