FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 21, 2026
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IRIS’s new Language Services removes language barriers to civic participation and creates training and employment opportunities for refugee and immigrant interpreters
NEW HAVEN, CT — As early voting gets underway across Connecticut, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) is partnering with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut (ACLU-CT) and the League of Women Voters of Connecticut (LWVCT) to provide translated voting-rights information to eligible voters whose first language is not English. Last year, IRIS launched Language Services to ocus on communication equity, to provide meaningful employment to qualified multilingual newcomers and community members, and to diversify revenue as federal programs and funding reductions continue.
The three organizations first joined forces this summer for America's 250th anniversary. We believe that everyone eligible to vote should be able to take part in the electoral process and understand what that means. IRIS has translated voter guides and know-your-rights materials into Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese, and more languages are planned. IRIS has also translated LWVCT’s nonpartisan voter education materials into languages spoken in the refugee and immigrant communities across the state. ACLU-CT works with both organizations to advocate for accessible polling places and for policies that support equal participation.
“Democracy is an action verb, not a destination,” said Maggie Mitchell Salem, Executive Director of IRIS. “Each of our organizations brings different strengths. ACLU-CT defends our civil rights, the League has spent more than a century helping voters register and get informed, and IRIS has deep relationships with New Americans across Connecticut. By pooling those strengths, we can reach voters who might otherwise be left out simply because of language. We share these materials at our community events, and we’re working to get them into libraries across the state.”
“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and that means it must be accessible for everyone,” said David McGuire, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut. “Language should never be a barrier to casting your ballot in any election. Our Plan Your Vote CT voter education campaign and our partnership with IRIS and the League of Women Voters helps to ensure that more Connecticut residents have the information they need to understand their rights and participate fully in our elections. At a time when our democracy faces serious challenges, making voting more accessible is essential to protecting it."
"The League of Women Voters has been educating voters for over 100 years, but only our collaboration with IRIS has allowed us to reach so many eligible voters who are more comfortable reading in languages other than English and Spanish,” said Patricia Rossi, Co-President of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.
Early voting is open now through Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with extended hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) on Tuesday, October 27, and Thursday, October 29. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The following materials are available in English and Spanish here. Other languages will be added to the site on October 23rd.
- Voter Checklist and Know Your Rights One-Pager
- Train the Trainer: Voter Education Guide
- Voting on Election Day Voter Guide
- Voting Early In-Person Voter Guide
- Voting by Absentee Ballot Voter Guide
About Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS)
For decades, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) has helped refugees and other displaced people build new lives, strengthen hope, and contribute to the vitality of Connecticut’s communities. Today, through our New Americans strategy, we are focused on the thousands of refugees and immigrants who already call Connecticut home, helping them move from arrival to full belonging, including from being served to leading, voting, organizing, and shaping the systems they live in. Partnerships are central to everything we do.
Learn more at irisct.org.
About League of Women Voters of Connecticut (LWVCT)
The League is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy.
Learn more at http://lwvct.org/
About ACLU of Connecticut
The ACLU of Connecticut defends, promotes, and expands the civil rights and civil liberties of all people in Connecticut through litigation, community organizing and legislative advocacy, and civic education and engagement.
Learn more at https://www.acluct.org/
