At the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Philadelphia, we serve Muslim American community members, many of whom speak languages not included in the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act. For example, in Pennsylvania, there are at least 35,000 Arabic speakers, at least 10,000 of whom live in Philadelphia. From our work within the region, we also know there are sizable West African communities in Southwest and West Philly, and Arab American communities in Northeast and South Philadelphia.
It is not fitting for our city to rely on internet-based translations of critical information like voting materials, either. However much they may have improved, Google translate and similar services are not always accurate in conveying critical information about elections. We assisted a voter who needed an actual human to convey the difference between mail-in-ballots and absentee ballots last year, a concept that can be confusing even for native speakers.
by: Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, CAIR-Philadelphia
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