In their written testimony to the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, NALEO summarized their research on the experience of Latino voters, including:
- Problems reported to their hotline (888-Ve-Y-Vota)
- Poll monitoring
- A national survey of unregistered or registered non-voters
- A survey of election officials in California’s language support practices
They conclude that several factors make it harder for Latinos to vote, including:
- Lack of knowledge about elections
- Lack of effective voter education in Spanish
- Administrative problems with registration
- Inadequate language assistance at the polling place
- Incorrect or confusing information from poll workers (including how to handle provisional votes correctly)
Additional details
National Survey: Their national survey focused on adults eligible to vote who were either unregistered or had not participated in elections in recent years. Based on this survey and their other experience and research, they offered the following recommendations to better educate and inform voters
- Increase presence in the community, including community organizations, presence at naturalization ceremonies, and local events.
- Take advantage of opportunities to include information in multilingual or Spanish media, especially TV and radio stations.
- Ensure that all communities are targeted by educational campaigns concerning new voting practices, procedures, and locations.
The California Language Assistance Assessment Survey included 41 officials required to provide Spanish language support. This survey is a detailed look at the ways that election officials provide language support. Based on this survey, they recommend that election officials:
- Cultivate strong partnerships with community-based organizations.
- Make bilingual information available through multiple platforms.
- Simplify tools and procedures for voters.
- Seek out research and expertise before making fundamental changes to election procedures.
- Educate poll workers regarding cultural sensitivity.