ATLANTA — Georgia District 75 Rep. Eric Bell, D-Jonesboro, and two other state representatives recently submitted a letter to the Clayton County Board of Commissioners requesting that Spanish-language ballots be included in future county-run elections.
In addition to Bell, also signing off on the letter were Georgia District 116 El-Mahdi Holly, D-Stockbridge, and Georgia District 76 Rep. Sandra Scott, D-Rex.
“Our beloved Clayton County, a tapestry of cultures and stories, holds within its arms a population where 12.2% of its members confront language barriers,” Bell said in a statement.
Bell also said that about 33,000 people in the county may be negatively impacted by English-only ballots, including many Spanish-speaking residents.
“Dr. King spoke of the ‘fierce urgency of now’,” Bell said. “The urgency lies within our duty to uphold the principles of Section 203 in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. By offering Spanish-language ballots, we can bind the hearts of our diverse community and expand access to the democratic process.”
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