New York Senate panel advances bill expanding Creole language voting protections

A New York Senate committee has advanced legislation that would expand language access protections for Creole speakers and other communities under state voting rights law.

The Senate Elections Committee approved the bill, sponsored by Sen. Zellnor Myrie, on April 21. The measure would add Creole speakers and New Yorkers of Middle Eastern and North African descent as protected groups under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York.

The law allows designated groups to challenge voter suppression or dilution in court and requires jurisdictions to provide language assistance in certain cases.

In a press release, Myrie said expanding language access is key to ensuring equal participation in elections.

“Voting is a fundamental right in any language,” Myrie said. “New York passed the strongest voting rights law in the country to ensure every eligible voter could participate in our democracy and have their voices heard in government. This bill would extend these protections to Creole speakers and New Yorkers of Middle Eastern descent.”

More than 170,000 Creole speakers live in New York state, according to estimates and over 300,000 residents report Middle Eastern or North African ancestry.

The Voting Rights Act, passed in 2022, has already been used in legal challenges, including a case brought by Latino voters in Newburgh that led to changes in local election procedures.

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