Reproductive rights measures are on the ballots in 10 states after heated debates over terminology and impact — and that’s just in English. In many places where English isn’t the primary language among communities of voters, the federal Voting Rights Act requires that all elections information be made available in each community’s native language. The law aims to ensure that everyone knows what they’re voting for. But vague or technical terms can be challenging for languages without written traditions. For example, there’s no single word for abortion in the native language of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe in Colorado’s Montezuma County.
