Dearborn, Michigan, USA – For the first time in US history, voters in the Detroit area will be able to access Arabic-language ballots in a state-organized election, a move that supporters hope will boost turnout. vote and participate in politics in the Arab-American community.
Ballots were available in the southeastern Michigan cities of Dearborn and Hamtramck, just outside Detroit – home to many Arabs – in state’s main on Tuesday.
“The question is: Why not? In a community where you know that about 50% of households speak a second language, mostly Arabic, why not provide greater accessibility to people who want to participate in our democracy? we? And that’s really the premise behind the whole thing, “Mayor Dearborn Abdullah Hammoudwho helped lead the push for the Arabic vote, told Al Jazeera.
During the 2004 presidential caucus in Michigan, the Democratic Party provided ballots in Arabic. On Tuesday, they were in government-arranged elections. The ballots provide racial descriptions and proposal text in Arabic, but the names of the candidates are in English.
Congress amended the U.S. Voting Rights Act in 1975 to require government agencies to hold elections in areas with significant numbers of English-speaking residents to provide “minority vote”. So, non-English ballots have been present in American elections for decades.
But the law does not include Arab Americans among the historically disenfranchised community groups it is intended to protect. The communities designated in the law are “American Indians, Asian Americans, Alaska Natives, and Hispanic citizens”.
The fact that Arabs are considered white on US Census made it more difficult for supporters to campaign for the Arab votes.
This year, local leaders in Dearborn and Hamtramck worked with county and state election officials to overcome those barriers.
“Sometimes, governments limit themselves based on what is written on paper,” says Hammoud.
“The Voting Rights Act did not recognize Middle East and the North African community as a federally protected minority. So usually, governments say, ‘Oh, you’re not recognised; so you can’t. ‘ In this example, we said, let’s use it as a framework, so we can really move forward to make a difference. “
Dearborn City Council unanimously passed a resolution in March asking the city clerk to put up ballots in Arabic against the concerns of some local officials who oppose the possibility existence and cost of promotion. Opponents of the measure argued that the city provided voter information and sample ballots in Arabic.
But Hammoud said that while working with Michigan’s secretary of state, Wayne County and Dominion Voting Systems, the company that makes the voting machines, the city went through the process “quite quickly” and was “completed.”
“It is vital that our democracy continues to be accessible and safe for all Michigan voters,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement in July.
“In a time when there are so many attempts to divide and prevent citizen participationIt is inspiring to see Dearborn, Hamtramck and Wayne County leadership come together to show that government can meet the needs of its citizens and deliver results. “
This initiative has been met with opposition stemming from the xenophobia of some residents. But Hammoud said the measure is intended to lead to a “better Dearborn community” and benefit all residents by ensuring greater participation in elections.
“From an outcome perspective, if someone is going to vote understand better in Arabic what they are voting for [to] make more informed decisions, isn’t that better for our democracy? Hammoud, who was elected as Dearborn’s first Arab-American mayor last year, said.
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute (AAI), which leads a nationwide campaign to increase Arab voter participation, echoed Hammoud’s comments.
Berry told Al Jazeera: “Vote is a requirement for successful democracy. “Nobody is asking that if you don’t need a ballot in Arabic, you should get one. All we’re doing here is making sure that for those who need it – because perhaps their Arabic is better than their English – it’s available to them. “
She added that whenever governments emphasize voting inclusivity, it often leads to an increase in turnout.
Berry also said the issue of the Arabic ballot highlights the need to add the Middle East and North Africa category to the list US Census.
Huthayfah Awnallah, a Yemeni Americans college student, said he felt represented and was “excited” to vote with the Arabic ballot even though he was fluent in English.
“I voted in Arabic to encourage this move,” he told Al Jazeera. “I just wish they also had the names of the candidates in Arabic besides English.”
Hammoud has said that the ultimate goal is to have a ballot with both languages on it, but it was difficult to do that in Tuesday’s election because of the length of the ballot, which has many races.
