MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin has submitted an open records request to the Wisconsin Elections Commission focusing on access to Spanish-language resources for voters. 

Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act states that certain jurisdictions with a high enough concentration of non-English speaking residents that speak the same language must provide translated voting instructions and other materials related to voter information.

In the request sent last Friday, the ACLU seeks the disclosure of records related to Spanish-language access in voting dating back to January of 2024. 

“A strong democracy depends on all eligible voters having equal access to the ballot,” said Ryan Cox, legal director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. “To that end, it is vitally important that all municipalities—but especially those covered under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act—provide voting materials in Spanish and other languages to those who need it. As the central, statewide authority in charge of administering and enforcing the election laws, it is incumbent on the Wisconsin Elections Commission to ensure that every municipality is in full compliance with the law and that voters are not facing disenfranchisement due to language barriers.”

Wisconsin has six jurisdictions that require the access of Spanish voting materials, including the cities of Milwaukee, Arcadia, and Abbottsford, and the villages of Curtiss, Sharon and West Milwaukee.