Elections: translation of election materials

Counties and state agencies must provide full language access when a covered language group meets specified population thresholds. The law moves beyond facsimile ballots toward translated ballots, registration materials, notices, websites, and in-person assistance.

What the law does ​

• Requires the Secretary of State to identify covered county languages by December 15, 2031, and every 10 years thereafter, generally when at least 10,000 or 5% of voting-age citizens have limited English proficiency and share a language.
• Requires covered jurisdictions to translate official and vote-by-mail ballots, sample ballots, registration forms, election notices, voter outreach, polling-place signage, and election websites.
• Requires sufficient trained bilingual poll workers or interpreters, with alternative effective assistance if bilingual workers cannot be recruited.
• Requires state agencies providing election-related materials or services in covered counties to provide them in the covered languages.
• Lets citizens or organizations ask the Secretary of State to require language coverage by submitting a preponderance of evidence that a language group meets the criteria.
• Requires translations to be equal in quality and timing to English materials and not rely solely on automated translation.

Who it affects ​

• Limited-English-proficient voters in covered counties or smaller areas identified by the Secretary of State.
• County elections officials, precinct boards, vote centers, and local jurisdictions conducting elections.
• The Secretary of State and state agencies that provide voter registration or election-related materials and services.