Spanish Ballots Were Largely Unused

Local school districts collectively ordered hundreds of Spanish-language ballots for last week’s budget vote and school board elections, and manned the polls with translators, in response to federal election mandates requiring schools to expand access for voters who predominantly speak Spanish. For most districts, it was the first time they had done so.

Between Bridgehampton and Montauk, a total of two voters used the ballots, and no one needed the translators’ services, local school officials reported this week.

“I think it was a surprise to us,” said Debra Winter, superintendent of the Springs School District, which is known to have a significant Latino population among its community. “It was pretty typical that districts ordered these ballots and nobody used them.”

That was also the case in the Bridgehampton School District, where Robert Hauser, the superintendent, said even though no one requested a Spanish-language ballot or needed help from a translator, it was meaningful that the district had them available. Bridgehampton previously had Spanish-language ballots and voting information for its $24.7-million capital bond referendum in December of 2017, Mr. Hauser said.

“I think from a communication and a transparency point of view, it’s all positive,” he said. “Just trying to reach out to the community and be able to accommodate the needs, the language barrier, that’s always important. We do have a significant population of students and parents who are limited English-speakers, and they are eligible to vote.”

The Springs School had 200 Spanish-language ballots on hand, according to Julie Bistrian, the district clerk. The Bridgehampton School had 100 such ballots available, said Tammy Cavanaugh, that district’s clerk.

The unused ballots and translators came at a cost. Bridgehampton spent $275 on the ballots, Ms. Cavanaugh said. Mr. Hauser said the district had used an in-house staff member as an interpreter, and that the most expensive task was having the budget newsletter, legal notices, and related documents translated into Spanish. 

Ms. Winter agreed, calling the costs “unfunded mandates,” a term often used by school officials to describe policies put in place by the state or federal government that come without any money 

to implement them. Ms. Winter said Springs spent close to $5,000 on the legal notices alone, including the Spanish-language notices. “Nobody reads the papers anymore,” she said. “Everybody goes to websites, and we put the newsletter in everybody’s hands.”

The story was the same in the East Hampton School District. Kerri Stevens, the district clerk, said this week she had ordered 500 Spanish-language ballots and “not one was used.” They too staffed the polls with a translator.

The Sag Harbor School District, which this year began translating report cards into Spanish on the recommendation of its Diversity and Inclusion Committee, also sent out a Spanish-language budget newsletter, ordered 300 Spanish-language ballots, and had two translators available. Victoria Handy, Sag Harbor’s district clerk, said two voters used the ballots last week.

Katy Graves, Sag Harbor’s superintendent, said this week even though few were used, it was an important step to take. About one in five Sag Harbor students was enrolled in an “English as a new language” program at some point in his or her time in school, she said. 

“We work very, very hard to make sure that our students are rapidly learning English, but their families may not have that opportunity to learn English as rapidly as our children do,” Ms. Graves said, “so having them have access . . . in Spanish really helps them connect to the school.”

Sandy Nuzzi, district clerk of the Amagansett School, said she ordered 50 Spanish-language ballots and brought in a translator, but no one used them. Jeanette Krempler, district clerk for the Sagaponack School, said its budget vote and trustee election relied on paper ballots rather than the electronic voting system, but they still had them available in Spanish. No one needed them, or needed the help of the translator the school provided, Ms. Krempler said. Similarly, the Wainscott School District had Spanish-language ballots and a translator on hand, but Mary McCaffrey, the district clerk, said none of the voters needed them.

In Montauk, Grace Lightcap, the school district clerk, said she ordered 100 ballots and none were used. The district spent close to $600 for the ballots, translator, and related materials.

Jack Perna, Montauk’s superintendent, said he was “surprised that we didn’t get anybody,” but said it was consistent with what he was hearing from other superintendents around Suffolk County. In Montauk, he said, the outcome was most likely a function of the hamlet’s general demographics.

“Most of our people have been here for a couple of generations,” Mr. Perna said. “Otherwise, they have sold their house and moved away . . . and most of the Latino parents that I meet are pretty good with English.”