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Esta página no está disponible en español. Hispanic Voters Want Election Day Problems Resolved… Report Election Difficulties
Hispanic Voters Want Election Day Problems Resolved November 12, 2004 CLEVELAND (AP) - Spanish-speaking residents say they encountered a number of problems on Election Day -- some that prevented votes from being cast. A lack of Spanish-speaking poll workers, no Spanish ballots and names missing from voter lists were among the complaints in Cuyahoga County. Cleveland City Councilman Nelson Cintron Jr., who was born in Puerto Rico, intends to meet with county elections director Michael Vu to discuss the problems. "We need more Hispanics at the polling locations," Cintron said. "And not only Hispanics. If we look around the entire city and all of Cuyahoga County there are different cultures coming into our area who need help." Vu said he wants to work with Hispanic and other groups to make voting accessible to as many people as possible. "I definitely understand it," Vu said. "My parents have the same issues. They're first generation and English is their second language." Vu's parents immigrated to the United States from Vietnam. Hiring poll workers who speak other languages, he said, is a priority. More sophisticated voting machines, which the state will switch to in coming years, should make it easier and less expensive to provide ballots in a number of languages. "We will definitely invest resources in recruitment and making sure that poll workers have the characteristics of their communities," Vu said. A professor from the University of Illinois in Chicago listed several grievances with international monitors after volunteering at a heavily Hispanic precinct on Cleveland's West Side. "These were Puerto Ricans and they didn't have Spanish ballots," said Irma Olmedo, who spent Election Day translating and providing other help at three precincts. "I was just appalled. How can that be? These people are U.S. citizens." Puerto Ricans gained citizenship in 1917 and have the right to vote for president if they live in the U.S. Federal law says election material and assistance must be offered in other languages if more than 10,000 people, or 5 percent of those old enough to vote in a community, speak that language. In Ohio, no counties qualify. Cuyahoga County has a total Hispanic population of 3.6 percent, according to 2003 census estimates. Angel Pagan, director of the Ohio office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, said a handful of voters complained to his office on Election Day that their names weren't on precinct lists even though they had registered to vote. In each case, Pagan tried calling the elections board to determine what went wrong, but was put on hold for long periods of time, he said. Hispanics Here Report Election Difficulties DIANE SUCHETKA; PLAIN DEALER REPORTER November 12, 2004 The Plain Dealer A number of Election Day problems made voting difficult -- or impossible -- for Spanish-speaking citizens in the Cleveland area. So much so, that the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration's Ohio office sent a letter expressing concern to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Cleveland City Councilman Nelson Cintron Jr. -- born in Puerto Rico -- intends to meet with elections director Michael Vu to discuss how to solve the problems. "We need more Hispanics at the polling locations," Cintron said. "And not only Hispanics. If we look around the entire city and all of Cuyahoga County there are different cultures coming into our area who need help. "They're citizens of the United States. And we should be taking care of them." The issue is of particular concern to Puerto Ricans, who have been U.S. citizens since 1917 and have the right to vote for president if they live in one of the states of the Union. It also follows an Oct. 26 complaint about a Cuyahoga County poll worker who suggested ballots not be provided in any language but English. That poll worker was fired after a group of Hispanics protested on the steps of the board of elections. A professor from the University of Illinois in Chicago also listed several grievances with international monitors after volunteering at a heavily Hispanic precinct on Cleveland's West Side, she said. "These were Puerto Ricans and they didn't have Spanish ballots," said Irma Olmedo, who spent Election Day translating and providing other help at precincts L, N and O in Cleveland's Ward 13. "I was just appalled. How can that be? "These people are U.S. citizens." Federal law says election material and assistance must be offered in other languages if more than 10,000 people, or 5 percent of those old enough to vote in a community typically a county speak that language. Los Angeles County, for example, must provide assistance in Chinese, Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. In Ohio, no counties qualify. Cuyahoga County has a total Hispanic population of 3.6 percent, according to 2003 census estimates. Angel Pagan, director of the Ohio office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, said a handful of voters complained to his office on Election Day that their names weren't on precinct lists even though they had registered to vote. In each case, Pagan tried calling the elections board to determine what went wrong, but he was put on hold for long periods of time, he said. "The waiting was an hour," Pagan said, "and many people gave up. "If the community keeps coming to us the way they have been then we'll try to talk to Mr. Vu too," Pagan said, "and see how we can solve the problems." Vu said he wants to work with Hispanic and other groups to make voting accessible to as many groups as possible. "I definitely understand it," said Vu. "My parents have the same issues. They're first generation and English is their second language." Vu's parents immigrated to the United States from Vietnam before he was born, he said. Hiring poll workers who speak other languages, he said, is very much a priority. And more sophisticated voting machines, which the state will switch to in coming years, should make it easier and less expensive to provide ballots in a number of languages. "We will definitely invest resources in recruitment and making sure that poll workers have the characteristics of their communities," Vu said.
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