VOTE Act

Summary · Congressional Research Service (nonpartisan)

This bill requires states to use English-only ballots to qualify for certain federal election funds. It also repeals a prohibition on English-only federal elections and eliminates language assistance provisions under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). (The VRA requires some jurisdictions to provide materials such as ballots and registration information in English and in other covered languages for voters whose English proficiency is limited. The bill removes these requirements.) Specifically, the bill prohibits a state from receiving federal election administration funds if the state provides ballots for a federal election that include text in any language other than English.