VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41's Grant Stephens
Several different advocates and organizations in and around Wyandotte County are concerned with language barriers facing voters who use English as their second language.
They're asking the county to change the language options around voting, something like a Spanish option at the voting booth or a Spanish print of the sample ballot.
Elizabeth Reynoso and Justin Gust with El Centro say it's one of 10 advocacy and service organizations asking for better language access.
"I think for a lot of people, it does feel like it's discrimination," Gust said. "To have to navigate something that’s already complicated but in a language that’s not necessarily your strongest is a pretty big issue.”
Reynoso says she'd like to see multiple language options, but step one is asking for Spanish.
“This is important and we cannot stop doing this because we need to be able to offer the same rights for all," she said.
She says Wyandotte County has roughly 50,000 voters who primarily speak Spanish.
“Tax information is readily available in Spanish or many other languages. So we’ve made it available in some areas but in other ways we haven’t," Gust said. “For us it’s kind of a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t we do this as well with voting? ... Those votes potentially could be lost."
It's been frustrating for other advocates like Ephren Taylor, who feel a Spanish voice is being suppressed.
"Fundamentally, if you value democracy and spreading that to all of America's people, then you care about giving it to people who don't speak the same language as you," he said.
The Wyandotte Election Commission says it follows a federal law that sets when a Spanish requirement is met.
They say once they reach a certain population threshold they will be required to provide information and ballots in another language.
That requirement has not been met yet.
Still, the ACLU of Kansas isn't so sure that stops the office from creating Spanish options on its own volition, and believes the law may be being misinterpreted.
The commissioner has not met with the groups to discuss any further options, and explained to the groups he would be too busy before the next election.
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