ZIP Advertisement Two Vermont cities trying to make it easier for new Americans to vote ahead of Town Meeting Day Language inclusion and accessibility is a key component to these initiatives Share Updated: 4:42 PM EST Feb 22, 2021 Language inclusion and accessibility is a key component to these initiatives Share Updated: 4:42 PM EST Feb 22, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript navigating a political race can be tough and confusing, right? And imagine if you're trying to make sense of all of this, but you don't speak the same language. NBC. Five Lauren Granada joins Us Live from Burlington right now. Lauren. What's being done For voters who don't speak English as a first language? Well, Sarah Beth and Tom Town Meeting A is just over a week away. And here in Burlington, the city is trying to make it easier for new Americans to cast their ballots. I want everyone who is eligible to vote to be able to do so without without the concern of language accessibility. For the first time in Burlington's history, a mayoral debate was interpreted in six different languages in effort to encourage new Americans who don't speak English as their first language to vote for them to get all the information they need to be confident and their votes. Community organizer Aidan Haji helped make the translations happened for the February 9th debate, working with organizations like the Vermont New American Advisory Council and the Association of Africans living in Vermont. We're just seeing the mo mentum of these type of services is coming from New Americans themselves who experience, uh, the contact city of navigating two languages, with about 13% of the population made up of immigrants. It's the second city in the Green Mountain state. After Winooski Toe offer language interpretations for a political race, it is important for, uh, healthy for the city and the state to put a strong emphasis around supporting new American to be civically engaged. We wanna make sure that everybody who wants to be able to participate has those opportunities. At least two of the seven Burlington mayoral candidates emphasizing language accessibility in their campaigns. Go get your candidate. Ali Jang, the first ever black candidate in the city's history, utilizing his knowledge of four different languages at the last debate built trust with these communities because I understand their language. I understand their culture. It's important that we have an inclusive city government that tries to bring ah variety of different voices to the table when we make decisions. Candidate Max Tracy highlighting the fact that his mayoral campaign is the only one to translate his materials in four different languages, both of them hoping their efforts to bring a record turnout to the polls with new faces. It is one of the ways that you can express uh, your voice A Z a U S citizen and ballots again translated in six different languages will be available on town meeting day next Tuesday in Burlington and Winooski. We're live in Burlington. Lauren Granada, NBC five News Mhm, right.