FALL RIVER, MA – Republican nominee for Secretary of State Anne Brensley announced an initiative today to make Portuguese-language ballots available in Massachusetts communities where they are needed, beginning with cities such as Fall River that are home to significant Portuguese-speaking populations.
Brensley made the announcement during a press conference at City Gate Plaza in Fall River. She was joined by Carlos Cesar, a longtime leader in Fall River’s Portuguese-American community, and Pastor Manny Silva, a Cape Verde native and former candidate for Massachusetts State Senate. Both Cesar and Silva support Brensley’s campaign and her initiative to expand access to Portuguese-language ballots.
“Massachusetts is home to one of the largest and most historic Portuguese-speaking communities in the country, but our election system has failed to provide many of these voters with the same language access available to other communities,” Brensley said. “When I am elected Secretary of State, I will work to make Portuguese-language ballots available wherever they are needed. I will be a Secretary of State for every eligible voter in Massachusetts.”
Cesar, who was born in the Azores, is a recipient of the Portuguese Heritage Award from the Massachusetts State House and served for many years as president of the Flint Neighborhood Association. Fall River’s Flint neighborhood, where Cesar has been a longtime community leader, is one of the largest Portuguese-American enclaves in the United States.
Silva was born in Cape Verde and has been active in public service and community leadership in Bristol county. A pastor and former candidate for State Senate, Silva supports Brensley’s efforts to make Massachusetts elections more accessible to Portuguese-speaking voters, including members of the Commonwealth’s Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Brazilian, and other Lusophone communities.
Brensley emphasized that providing accurate translations would strengthen election integrity by helping eligible voters understand their ballots and cast them as intended.
“Language access and election integrity are not competing priorities,” Brensley said. “Clear and accurate ballots give voters greater confidence, reduce confusion at polling locations, and help ensure that every vote reflects the voter’s actual choice.”
As Secretary of State, Brensley states that she will also establish a Foreign Language Commission composed of representatives from communities across Massachusetts. The commission would review the availability and accuracy of translated election materials and recommend improvements for Portuguese, Khmer, Vietnamese, Spanish, Chinese, and other languages spoken throughout the Commonwealth.
Brensley said Massachusetts must do more than simply translate election materials. The state must also ensure those translations are accurate, understandable, and developed with input from the communities that use them.
“Our Commonwealth is stronger when every eligible citizen can participate,” Brensley said. “No voter should feel forgotten by the office responsible for administering our elections. This is about equal access, accurate information, and making government work for everyone.”
Brensley is an attorney, business executive, and former Wayland Selectwoman. Adopted from Honduras as a child, she is the first Latina nominated for statewide office by a major political party in Massachusetts history.
