Does Your City Meet the Bilingual Election Requirements?

Thinking about using Google Translator? Here is one example as to why NOT to use Google Translator:

In English: "No Mayor or Council member shall hold any other city office or employment during the term."

Google translation to Spanish (but read here in English): "No Mayor or Council member shall hold any other office or employment IN THE CITY during the term."

Problem: The translation reads like the person can't hold a job within the city limits which may discourage someone from seeking office.

There are other examples found on the internet where government entities utilized Goggle Translate and sensitive blunders occurred.

Solution:

Professional Municipal Translation Services

Meet Amber Wood:

Amber's Bio:

Texas Election Code Addressing Bilingual

Election Requirements:

TX. Elec. Code Chapter 272

• Bilingual election materials required in any precinct located wholly or partially in county with greater than 5% share of inhabits with Spanish origin or descent according to most recent census. Tex. Elec. Code § 272.002
• Unless exempted by 272.003.
• Required bilingual materials: instruction posters, ballots, forms voters are required to sign in connection with voting, application forms for early voting ballots, written instructions connected to early voting, ballot by mail. Tex. Elec. Code § 272.005
• Ballot language subject to exception in 272.006.
• Voter registrar shall keep notice in office where registration conducted stating application forms in Spanish are available.

52 USC 10503: Bilingual Election Requirements

Voting Materials shall be provided in Spanish

• Applies to political subdivision where, Census Director determines, based on 2010 American Community Survey census data and subsequent American Community Survey data in 5-year increments, that:
• Greater than 5 percent of citizens of voting age are members of single language minority and are limited-English proficient.
• More than 10,000 of citizens of voting age are members of single language minority and are limited-English proficient; OR
• If political subdivision contains Indian reservation, ore than 5 percent of the American Indian or Alaska Native citizens of voting age within the Indian reservation are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient; and
• (ii) the illiteracy rate of the citizens in the language minority as a group is higher than the national illiteracy rate.