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Y>.y <br />For Immediate Release <br />April 11, 2019 <br />Contact: Governor's Press Office <br />(850) 717-9282 <br />Mediaeoq.myfiorida.com <br />Governor Ron DeSantis Directs Florida Department of State <br />to Address Availability of Spanish Language Ballots <br />for the 2020 Elections <br />Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis directed the Florida Department of <br />State (DOS) to initiate rule-making to address the availability of Spanish-language <br />ballots and Spanish-language voter assistance for the 2020 elections and all future <br />elections. <br />"It is critically important that Spanish-speaking Floridians are able to exercise their right <br />to vote without any language barriers," said Governor DeSantis. "Florida has a <br />significant Spanish-speaking population and our state is home to many Puerto Ricans <br />who moved here after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. These fellow citizens should <br />be able to fully participate in our democracy, which is why I am directing the Department <br />of State to address voting accessibility issues for Florida's Spanish-speaking community <br />statewide." <br />Voter -related materials are already provided in Spanish at the state -level. Currently, 46 <br />counties are subject to varying requirements to accommodate voters who speak other <br />languages, including 13 counties required under federal law to provide bilingual ballots <br />and election materials. <br />"As Florida's Chief Elections Officer, one of my top priorities is ensuring that all <br />Floridians have a fair and equal opportunity to vote in our elections," said Secretary of <br />State Laurel M. Lee. "I applaud Governor DeSantis for his leadership on addressing <br />the availability of Spanish-language ballots, and I look forward to working with <br />Supervisors of Elections and other stakeholders as we move through the rule-making <br />process." <br />54 <br />