As used in this part—

Act means the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 79 Stat. 437, Public Law 89-110, as amended by the Civil Rights Act of 1968, 82 Stat. 73, Public Law 90-284, the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970, 84 Stat. 314, Public Law 91-285, the District of Columbia Delegate Act, 84 Stat. 853, Public Law 91-405, the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1975, 89 Stat. 400, Public Law 94-73, the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982, 96 Stat. 131, Public Law 97-205, the Voting Rights Language Assistance Act of 1992, 106 Stat. 921, Public Law 102-344, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, 120 Stat. 577, Public Law 109-246, and the Act to Revise the Short Title of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act, 122 Stat. 2428, Public Law 110-258, 42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq. Section numbers, such as “section 14(c)(3),” refer to sections of the Act.

Attorney General means the Attorney General of the United States.

Language minorities or language minority group is used, as defined in the Act, to refer to persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives, or of Spanish heritage. (Sections 14(c)(3) and 203(e)).

Political subdivision is used, as defined in the Act, to refer to “any county or parish, except that where registration for voting is not conducted under the supervision of a county or parish, the term shall include any other subdivision of a State which conducts registration for voting.” (Section 14(c)(2)).

(a) The purpose of this part is to set forth the Attorney General's interpretation of the provisions of the Voting Rights Act which require certain States and political subdivisions to conduct elections in the language of certain “language minority groups” in addition to English.

(b) In the Attorney General's view the objective of the Act's provisions is to enable members of applicable language minority groups to participate effectively in the electoral process. This part establishes two basic standards by which the Attorney General will measure compliance:

(1) That materials and assistance should be provided in a way designed to allow members of applicable language minority groups to be effectively informed of and participate effectively in voting-connected activities; and

(2) That an affected jurisdiction should take all reasonable steps to achieve that goal.

(c) The determination of what is required for compliance with section 4(f)(4) and section 203(c) is the responsibility of the affected jurisdiction. These guidelines should not be used as a substitute for analysis and decision by the affected jurisdiction.

(d) Jurisdictions covered under section 4(f)(4) of the Act are subject to the preclearance requirements of section 5. See part 51 of this chapter. Such jurisdictions have the burden of establishing to the satisfaction of the Attorney General or to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that changes made in their election laws and procedures in order to comply with the requirements of section 4(f)(4) are not discriminatory under the terms of section 5. However, section 5 expressly provides that the failure of the Attorney General to object does not bar any subsequent judicial action to enjoin the enforcement of the changes.

(e) Jurisdictions covered solely under section 203(c) of the Act are not subject to the preclearance requirements of section 5, nor is there a Federal apparatus available for preclearance of section 203(c) compliance activities. The Attorney General will not preclear jurisdictions' proposals for compliance with section 203(c).

(f) Consideration by the Attorney General of a jurisdiction's compliance with the requirements of section 4(f)(4) occurs in the review pursuant to section 5 of the Act of changes with respect to voting, in the consideration of the need for litigation to enforce the requirements of section 4(f)(4), and in the defense of suits for termination of coverage under section 4(f)(4). Consideration by the Attorney General of a jurisdiction's compliance with the requirements of section 203(c) occurs in the consideration of the need for litigation to enforce the requirements of section 203(c).

(g) In enforcing the Act—through the section 5 preclearance review process, through litigation, and through defense of suits for termination of coverage under section 4(f)(4)—the Attorney General will follow the general policies set forth in this part.

(h) This part is not intended to preclude affected jurisdictions from taking additional steps to further the policy of the Act. By virtue of the Supremacy Clause of Art. VI of the Constitution, the provisions of the Act override any inconsistent State law.

The Act's requirements concerning the conduct of elections in languages in addition to English are contained in section 4(f)(4) and section 203(c). These sections state that whenever a jurisdiction subject to their terms “provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots, it shall provide them in the language of the applicable language minority group as well as in * * * English. * * *”