Iowa’s Secretary of State will not appeal a court ruling on whether his office may provide voters materials in languages other than English. Former Secretary of State Chet Culver, who’s now the governor, provided Iowans with voter registration materials in a number of languages in 2006, ranging from Spanish to Laotian.
But a judge recently ruled the state’s "official English" law requires official state documents to be published only in English. Iowa’s current Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro issued a statement, saying he intends to work with the attorney general, governor, county auditors, and state legislators to find a way to comply with the ruling, yet still find a way to ensure as many Iowans as possible can register and exercise their right to vote.
In a prepared statement, Mauro said he understands the requirement of citizens "to be able to read and write the English language." Mauro said it was his goal to make the voting process as accessible as possible for all Iowans — "regardless of their first language."