Why John Bonifaz Needs to be Secretary of State for Massachusetts

[WilliamPitt]

http://blog.pdamerica.org/?p=548

Lowell voting problems probed

Translating ballot into Khmer eyed

By Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff | March 19, 2006

The US Department of Justice is conducting an investigation into voting problems in the city of Lowell, as advocates called for an increase in voting assistance to growing immigrant populations in the Bay State.

The Lowell investigation, confirmed by a Justice Department spokesman this past week, is the fourth recent probe into alleged voting rights violations in Massachusetts city elections. Other cities targeted by the Justice Department are Springfield, Lawrence, and Boston, which entered into a consent decree to print ballots in multiple languages, including Vietnamese, Chinese, and Spanish.

In Lowell, an advocacy group has reported that Cambodian-American voters faced difficulties at the polls last fall and has recommended that the city print more election materials in Khmer, a language spoken by Cambodians, who constitute up to a quarter of city residents.

The federal Voting Rights Act requires election materials to be printed in another language when more than 10,000 voting-age citizens or 5 percent of all voting-age citizens speak that language and have difficulty speaking English. But state election officials say that only Spanish-speaking citizens reach that threshold in Massachusetts cities. Six communities are required to print ballots in Spanish — Boston, Chelsea, Holyoke, Lawrence, Southbridge, and Springfield.

...more...

John Bonifaz is running for Secretary of State in Massachusetts precisely because of issues like this. Please help him as best you can: http://www.johnbonifaz.com/

[MADem]

1. Interesting article--many people don't realize that Lowell is one of the

largest Cambodian communities in the nation.

[Kat45]

2. I agree about Bonifaz.

Met him and heard him speak at our Democratic Town Committee meeting, and I liked what he had to say. His involvement in voting rights, in the past and currently, show that he walks the walk as well as talks the talk.

[merbex]

3. I saw him at the Deval Patrick rally at Faneuil Hall on the 11th - he was

working the rope line

I told him I was a delegate and was planning on supporting him in Worcester. He asked me to go to his website and sign in as a delegate but I don't see a place there for delegates to sign in as supporters? Maybe it's me

Dean's website has spoiled me - I really dislike lacklustre political/politician's websites. Bonifaz's could use some work. And Tom Reilly's is awful. There is no other word to describe it. Maybe pathetic.

awful and pathetic