Makes various changes related to language access in elections. (BDR 24-364)
AB367 makes a broad set of changes to Nevada election law focused on language access and voter assistance. It requires the Secretary of State to make voting materials and other election information available on the Secretary of State’s website in the languages required under federal law, and if fewer than seven languages are required, in the seven most commonly spoken languages in the state, plus American Sign Language. The bill also requires Spanish-language availability for all elections-related communications and information, and it defines “voting materials” to include registration forms, ballots and instructions, polling-place information, notices, ballot questions, and other voter forms.
The bill further directs the Secretary of State to establish a toll-free telephone line for language interpretation and translation assistance related to elections, including voter registration and voter assistance, and to ensure that the line can provide help in the 200 most commonly spoken languages in Nevada and in American Sign Language. It also creates a new language access coordinator position within the Secretary of State’s office, placed in the classified state service, to help administer these requirements. In addition, the bill allows a registered voter with a physical disability to use a mobile device to access interpretive services, including American Sign Language, while casting a ballot.
AB367 amends multiple provisions of Chapter 293 of the Nevada Revised Statutes governing elections and voter assistance. It expands the Secretary of State’s duties regarding multilingual election information, adds a statutory definition of “voting materials,” updates the public elections website requirements, and modifies the voter-assistance statute to expressly permit mobile-device-based interpretive services for voters with physical disabilities. The bill primarily affects the Secretary of State’s office, county and city election administration through the broader language-access framework, and voters who need translation, interpretation, or disability-related accommodations.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the Assembly unanimously, 41-0, and later passed the Senate with a strong majority, 17-4. The vote pattern suggests general agreement with the goal of improving access to elections for voters with limited English proficiency and voters with disabilities, even though the Senate vote indicates some reservations among a minority of members.
The main points of potential contention are administrative burden, implementation cost, and the scope of required language services. The bill imposes extensive obligations on the Secretary of State, including website translation, a toll-free multilingual assistance line, and a new coordinator position, which may raise concerns about staffing, funding, and the availability of certified translators. Another possible issue is the breadth of the language requirements, especially the mandate to provide services in the 200 most commonly spoken languages and American Sign Language, and the requirement to use certified translators or continue efforts to find them. The disability-access provision allowing mobile devices for interpretive services may also prompt operational or security questions, though the bill text frames it as an accommodation.