Gov. David Paterson signed a bill Wednesday requiring voting materials be translated into Russian, eliminating the language barrier for many Brooklyn residents.

Under the Federal Voting Rights Act, New York already provided election literature in Korean, Chinese and Spanish. Many Russian-Americans say they felt left out of the process and believe it is an historic change.

Paterson says more than 200,000 people who reside in New York City speak Russian at home, including about 11 percent of Brooklyn residents.

The bill was pushed through state government by state Sen. Carl Kruger (D-27th District).