Poll workers are the volunteers who check voters in, hand them their ballot, direct them to the ballot booth, and give them an “I voted” sticker. In California, many voters have limited English skills and rely on poll workers who speak a second language. But often, bilingual poll workers aren’t available to help voters. By creating a larger pool of bilingual volunteers for Election Day, AB 817 would ensure that limited-English speakers get the help they are entitled to.
Unfortunately, a group called the Election Integrity Project is circulating a petition to urge Governor Brown to veto AB 817. The Election Integrity Project has been linked to True the Vote, an organization that voting rights advocates believe tried to suppress the minority vote during the 2012 election. AB 817 is intended to get more people involved in our democracy. But the Election Integrity Project opposes it because they apparently believe only citizens can play a role in our democracy. Not surprisingly, only citizens can sign their petition.
We need your voice to counter this misguided effort. Please sign our petition and urge Governor Brown to sign AB 817 into law.
AB 817 is supported by a broad range of communities and groups that care about opening our democracy to fuller participation, including civil rights organizations, immigrant rights groups, and civic organizations. AB 817 is also supported by county registrars of voters and the Secretary of State – the government agencies that run elections in the state. Supporters of AB 817 see that the bill is an innovative way to bolster bilingual poll worker recruitment and create civic engagement opportunities for those who can’t vote.
Tell Governor Brown to sign AB 817 into law and ignore the Election Integrity Project’s misguided sentiment. We need to increase the pool of bilingual poll workers!
