Thursday, September 26, 2002

In Denver County, Colo., officials are worried about finding 200 bilingual poll workers by November, said Alan McBeth, spokesman for the Denver Election Commission. So far, they've got just 60.

Officials also haven't figured out how to fit a Spanish-language version of the ballot on voting machines' electronic screens, which can display only a limited amount of text, McBeth said.

Election Commissioner Jan Tyler estimates Spanish assistance will add up to $80,000 to the more than $500,000 it now costs to conduct an election. Denver will comply with the requirements, but Tyler — the granddaughter of Polish immigrants — doesn't agree with them.

"It's un-American to have to print ballots in other languages," she said. "I empathize completely with the immigrant experience. I still believe that people should learn to speak the language."