Brooklyn, NY – On December 5, 2018, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, Councilman Mark Treyger and other elected officials and supporters gathered at a press conference regarding the expansion of voter access for voters from a variety of different backgrounds. Councilman Treyger's bill, Int. No. 1282, was introduced to change the election law allow interpreters of all designated citywide languages inside of poll sites, which would include Haitian Creole and Russian.

During the last Assembly session, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte introduced A00312 and A07194, which were to provide voting materials and translation assistance to voters in Haitian Creole. Making voting information available in more languages is a step to broadening access to democracy. However, on this day, she would like to support Councilman Treyger's bill because it's really important.

"I want to adopt his bill and make it statewide. Before I was an elected official, I recall being forced out of a polling site when I tried to help a fellow Haitian voter. I was shoved and escorted out of the area and was told that there was to be no Creole speaking here," says Assemblymember Bichotte. "The way in which these laws are enforced is hurtful and disheartening. Helpers and Interpreters of more backgrounds should be allowed to enter the poll sites. We are to make sure that it's a part of our election reform package as we move forward."

Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte supports this legislation because it will make it possible for voters of various backgrounds that have been largely ignored by the Board of Elections to finally exercise their right to vote. Disallowing certain types of interpreters from entering polls sites is a form of voter suppression that cannot be tolerated.