Arizona Supreme Court Rules to Keep Limited-English Candidate Off the Ballot

Well, chalk that up for common sense, for the moment at least.

At LAT, "Arizona Supreme Court bars candidate with limited English":

A would-be city council candidate in Arizona will not appear on an upcoming ballot because her English skills are insufficient, the state's Supreme Court decided Tuesday.

In a brief two-page order, the high court affirmed a Superior Court judge's ruling, which struck Alejandrina Cabrera's name from the March ballot in the town of San Luis.

The case, which attracted international media attention, was closely watched because of possible legal repercussions for other border communities where Spanish predominates. Cabrera's lawyers argued that the court should not set a standard for English and that the issue should be decided by San Luis voters.

Cabrera acknowledged her English is weak, but said she knew enough of the language to represent San Luis. Almost 99% of the town's residents are Latino, and Spanish is spoken virtually everywhere.

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