This study sought to test the validity of assumptions made regarding multilingual electoral ballot provisions. In addition, the study sought to determine if rationale for multilingual ballot provisions exist on the basis of factors related to language shift. Special, but not exclusive, attention was given to the Chinese language minority group. Empirical support for assumptions made by English-only advocates was found lacking. Rationale for language assistance was found to exist on the basis of number and proportion of recent immigrants, proportion of foreign born, lag of biliterate skill behind bilingual ability, linguistic differences between the Chinese language and English, and the discriminatory structure of the labor market.
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