JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES RESOLUTIONS
IN TWO FLORIDA VOTING MATTERS

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Justice Department today announced that it had filed Complaints and agreed-to consent decrees with two Florida counties concerning violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that occurred during the 2000 election.

The Department reached settlements with Orange and Osceola Counties that address those counties' failures to provide Spanish language assistance to voters who require it, as required under the Voting Rights Act. In addition, the agreements address the failure by both counties to ensure that qualifying Spanish-speaking voters could be assisted by persons of their choice. The decrees have been submitted for approval by the federal district court in Orlando.

"It is vitally important that all Americans enjoy the rights they are guaranteed under the Voting Rights Act," said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Ralph F. Boyd, Jr. "Federal law entitles certain persons to assistance, while voting, from the person of their choice, and to language assistance. Where that assistance is denied we will do what is necessary to ensure that the law is followed."

Specifically, the Complaint against Orange County alleges violations of Section 203 of the Act, which requires the county to provide materials and information relating to the electoral process in Spanish, and Section 208, which mandates that voters who are blind, disabled, or those who cannot read or write be permitted assistance at the polls by the person of their choice. The Complaint includes allegations that the county had not translated all of its election documents and information into Spanish, failed to assign a sufficient number of bilingual poll officials to polling sites with significant numbers of Spanish-speaking voters, and denied some voters assistance from persons of their own choosing.

In addition to enjoining further violations of Section 203 and 208, the consent decree requires Orange County to, among other things: appoint Spanish Language Coordinators to ensure that Spanish-speaking citizens receive full and complete information in Spanish about all stages of the electoral process; investigate and remove poll workers who have engaged in inappropriate treatment of Spanish-speaking and/or Hispanic voters; provide sufficient numbers of poll officials who are bilingual in Spanish and English.

In its Complaint against Osceola County, the Justice Department alleged the county violated Section 2 of the Act by engaging in practices that prevented certain Hispanic citizens from having an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. Specifically, some poll officials were hostile toward Spanish-speaking voters and may have discouraged them from voting, and some Spanish-speaking Hispanic citizens may have been turned away from the polls because of the failure of poll officials to communicate effectively with them or provide Spanish-language assistance. The County also engaged in practices that prevented Spanish-speaking voters, with limited ability to understand English, from receiving assistance at the polls by a person of their choice.

In addition to enjoining the county from future violations of Sections 2 and 208, the consent decree requires Osceola County to, among other things: provide in Spanish and English certain election materials, such as notifications of elections and polling place changes, through Spanish Language Assistance Coordinators; investigate and remove poll workers who have engaged in inappropriate treatment of Spanish-speaking and/or Hispanic voters; and provide sufficient numbers of poll officials who are bilingual in Spanish and English.

Under both agreements, the counties must train poll officials regarding Voting Rights Act compliance. Both consent decrees also permit the Department of Justice to monitor elections to ensure compliance with the consent decrees.

"Officials in Orange and Osceola Counties were committed to reforming their local voting procedures to ensure that they comply with the Voting Rights Act," said Boyd. "We appreciate the cooperation and good faith demonstrated by the counties during our investigations of these matters, and their willingness to negotiate effective resolutions of the concerns raised in our Complaints. The goal of both sides was to ensure genuine reform before the next round of federal elections."

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