Michigan Voters Benefit From Arabic Ballots But Law Restricts Access

In Michigan, Arabic-speaking voters face challenges accessing ballots in their native language due to the absence of state or federal laws requiring Arabic ballot translations, despite Arabic being one of the most commonly spoken non-English languages in the U.S. Lama Ali Ahmad, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon, experienced the significance of voting on an Arabic ballot in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb with a large Arabic-speaking community that passed local measures to provide such translations. However, the Arabic translations on ballots tend to be formal and sometimes awkward, impacting voter experience. While federal laws mandate ballot translations for several languages, these laws were established before Arabic became widely spoken in the U.S. and cover only a limited set of languages. Cities like Dearborn and Hamtramck have taken local initiatives to accommodate Arabic speakers, but many communities nationwide remain excluded from similar voting access. This exclusion highlights an ongoing gap in voting rights protections for Arabic speakers across the country.