Pawtucket Faces Voting Rights Allegations

Common Cause Rhode Island has alerted the City of Pawtucket to multiple violations of the Voting Rights Act and a federal consent agreement regarding Spanish-language assistance during the September 10 primary election. The organization claims that Pawtucket failed to provide necessary bilingual signage at six polling places, which is required to assist Spanish-speaking voters. This follows a previous lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, after which the city entered into a consent agreement mandating bilingual voting materials. Executive Director John Marion criticized the city for not only breaching the consent order but also failing to meet basic legal requirements. In response, Pawtucket's Board of Canvassers stated they worked closely with the DOJ and addressed issues raised on the day of the election. The DOJ is currently reviewing the allegations made by Common Cause regarding these voting rights violations.