MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — As Florida’s midterm elections get closer, approximately 30,000 Puerto Ricans in the state may face a tough time at the polls due to the language barrier. It's a problem civil rights groups in Florida are hoping a lawsuit will resolve.

  • Suit filed August 16
  • Suit argues only providing voting materials in English a violation of voting rights
  • 1965 Voting Rights Act requires election officials to provide Spanish-language materials

The suit, filed Thursday by a number of civil rights groups, including LatinoJustice, argues that Florida’s Secretary of State and local officials in 32 counties are violating their right to vote by only providing voting materials in English. 

(Click HERE to read the text of the complaint.)

Out of the 32 counties named in the suit, four are in the Bay Area: Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Manatee.

LatinoJustice managing attorney Kira Romero-Craft says the lawsuit aims to bring about change in time for the midterm elections. 

“These are changes that are well within their reach. There are certified translators that can make these changes on their behalf,” she said. 

What the law says

Section 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act, in place since 1965, requires local election officials to provide Spanish language materials and resources to voters who need it.

Romero-Craft says it's been brought to light in these counties because of recent migration patterns following Hurricane Maria.

She told us that many evacuees chose to live in more rural counties because it was most similar to their hometowns back on the island. 

"Essentially, [Puerto Ricans] are now all over the state and so I think that’s really what’s triggering this lawsuit,” she said. 

Florida candidates have been vying for the Puerto Rican vote this election season. But Romero-Craft said if they can't get to the polls, it could drastically change the outcome in November. 

“You don’t have to look very hard in our history books to see how influential Florida’s vote is, so it can have devastating effects in terms of the actual turnout,” she said. 

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory; therefore, all of its inhabitants are U.S. citizens.

“I think every U.S. citizen should be concerned that we have a class of individuals that may be denied the right to vote in an effective manner due to the lack of support and defiling the law by the Supervisor of Elections,” she said.