Kansas City, Kansas, leaders on Wednesday formally called upon Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Wyandotte County Election Commissioner Michael Abbott to provide local election materials in Spanish by 2025. During a meeting in City Hall, the Unified Government Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution urging the election officials to fulfill a demand forwarded by civic groups and naturalized citizens. The charge is one the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, has pushed over the past 18 months alongside other area organizations, including Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation and El Centro, Inc. Wyandotte County is home to 165,000 residents and roughly 29% speak a language other than English in the household, according to U.S. Census data. Spanish is the most common language after English spoken in the home, and Hispanic or Latino residents account for approximately 34% of the county’s population. Nearly one in five county residents were born outside the U.S., and about one-third are naturalized citizens, Census data show. Only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote. The resolution passed Wednesday urges Schwab and Abbott to create Spanish-language ballots and sample ballots available for in-person and advance voting; provide all local local election materials and online information in Spanish; and print and publish online information letting voters know of the right to receive language assistance at the polls. Abbott is appointed to his role by Schwab, a Republican. He referred questions to Schwab in an email to The Star. Asked for comment on the county’s resolution, a spokesperson for Schwab shared a statement identical to one from early October that notes federal requirements under the Voting Rights Act. “We believe in following federal laws and guidelines,” Schwab said. Despite its high number of Spanish speakers, Wyandotte County fails to meet a threshold established by federal law that would require election materials be provided in a language other than English. Kansas has six counties that meet the requirement. Still, the ACLU and civic leaders say the federal law is the floor — not the ceiling — and other counties voluntarily provide materials in other languages. Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, encouraged commissioners to support the resolution Wednesday evening, saying the measure was a way for the governing body “to affirm its values.” He attributed the county’s lower-than-average turnout rates in part to the absence of that service. “This need for language access is not speculative. It is not theoretical. It is real. Because as you well know, this is one of the most diverse places on God’s green earth,” Kubic said. Along with greater turnout, advocates say those who lack English proficiency or learned English as a second language would benefit from translation because of the complex wording often used in ballot questions. Noting he is the younger of two elected Latino members, Commissioner Christian Ramirez, 3rd District, said he “wholeheartedly” believes in expanded access. “I believe it is my responsibility to fight for my community, to advocate for my community, and that is what I am doing tonight,” he said. Commissioner Melissa Bynum, 1st District at-large, said she knows a number of naturalized citizens who call Wyandotte County home, including a woman who spent 10 years working toward that achievement. “It is not easy, and it is not fast,” Bynum said, adding she wants naturalized citizens to feel as comfortable voting as anyone born in the U.S. “My position is that we are better when more of us participate. It makes our community stronger.” Mayor Tyrone Garner referenced “Dotte Proud” awards handed out to residents earlier in the evening for exemplary community service. “To truly be Dotte Proud, we need to make sure that everybody that has an opportunity to vote is given the appropriate tools to be able to make an informed decision when they vote.”
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