does anybody know when multi lingual ballots started?
The current requirement dates back to a 1975 amendment to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Back in the 19th century, before widespread anti-immigrant sentiment, people with limited English skills were citizens and did vote -- I'm not sure if there were multilingual ballots or they were allowed to bring a translator with them. In all likelihood, community leaders and party bosses walked them trough it.
I'm currently reading Goodwin's "Team of Rivals," and at least as far back as 1860, the German-American immigrant community was a key part of the Republican coalition. In his efforts to build a national following, Lincoln had to balance them against the nativist former know-nothings, without driving either away.