Pawtucket agrees to provide more help to Spanish speaking voters to settle federal dispute

The city of Pawtucket and Board of Canvassers must provide election-related information in English and Spanish — including information at polling places and online — under a consent agreement reached with federal officials. (Getty image)

The city of Pawtucket will provide Spanish-speaking voters with election assistance and materials in their native language in time for the Sept. 10 primary under an agreement to settle a voting rights lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

A consent agreement filed in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island on Thursday responds to  allegations that Pawtucket election officials failed to give assistance in Spanish to voters with limited English proficiency. City officials dispute the allegations.

Under the federal Voting Rights Act, bilingual ballots are required in any voting jurisdiction where residents with limited English proficiency account for more than 5% of the voting population. As of January 2024, the DOJ said Pawtucket had 45,254 total active registered voters, of whom 9,961 — 22% — had Spanish surnames.

Federal officials had also alleged that Pawtucket election officials refused to allow voters who were qualified to cast a provisional ballot to do so, adding that workers were not trained over these requirements.

“The right to vote is the right on which all others depend,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Zachary Cunha said in a statement. “This office will remain vigilant in enforcing our civil rights laws to ensure that illegal barriers to access do not keep Americans from casting their ballots.”

The DOJ alerted the city about its investigation in February, said Rhode Island Board of Elections spokesperson Chris Hunter. Federal officials previously monitored Pawtucket’s elections during the 2023 special primary and general elections to make sure the state follows the Voting Rights Act.

Pawtucket Registrar Ken McGill did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said in a statement Thursday he was surprised to receive the DOJ’s notice against the city’s Board of Canvassers.

“When I first ran for Mayor in 2010, I was proud to win the support of many of Pawtucket’s Latino community leaders,” Grebien said. “I pledged that my administration would embrace and support our city’s Latino population. And that’s exactly what I have done and will continue to do.”

Grebien said while he disagreed with the DOJ’s allegations, the city opted to enter the consent order “to avoid protracted and expensive litigation.”

“Not only was this the right thing to do, but it also ensures that we will continue to protect the best interests of all residents,” he said. 

Under the agreement, the city and Board of Canvassers must provide election-related information in English and Spanish —  including information at polling places and online. The city must also ensure that in-person language assistance is available at all early voting sites and at each election precinct on Election Day. 

The post Pawtucket agrees to provide more help to Spanish speaking voters to settle federal dispute appeared first on Rhode Island Current.