Lost in the translation: California ballots may be available in fewer languages

THE 2020 CENSUS confirms California’s status as one of the nation’s most diverse states — second behind only Hawaii, despite a likely undercount of Latino and Black voters. About 40 percent of Californians speak a language other than English at home — more than 200 languages and dialects — and one in five have limited English knowledge. 

Combined with California’s tradition of expanding voting rights, that’s why some advocates are sounding the alarm over Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s decision to reduce the number of languages required in at least some voting precincts from 56 to 20 for the 2022 election.