DOJ employees will observe election access in 8 Massachusetts communities
MALDEN (CBS) - Department of Justice employees will be in eight Massachusetts towns on Tuesday to observe the election process: Methuen, Malden, Randolph, Everett, Fitchburg, Clinton, Leominster, and Salem.
"This has nothing to do with any issues relating to past elections," Secretary of State William Galvin explained to WBZ. In fact, the process is fairly routine.
The 2020 census triggers some communities to open access to ballots in languages more than English. "Any city or town that has a number of native language speakers who are mainly proficient in the native language, who are US citizens eligible to vote, triggers a requirement that we must print the ballot in that language as well as English," Galvin explained. "Communities that the [DOJ workers] are going to be planning on visiting...will have had their ballots adjusted to have different languages in addition to English for the first time," following the census.
In Malden, resident Hoa Huynh is grateful for the opportunity. Her first language is Vietnamese, but she primarily votes in English. "That's nice," she said about the possibility of expanded access to ballots in her native language and available translators. "You understand your own language more."
Secretary Galvin explained that the federal workers will just be observing the process to ensure it goes smoothly.
"They are there to measure the voters' experience, not to provide a test of the workers. It's more to make sure voters can get the help they need if in fact they need it," he explained.