SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – As the November general election approaches, local non-profits in Spokane County are providing new resources for voters regardless of their native language – a Spanish voters pamphlet for county elections will be available for the first time ever.
Mujeres in Action (MiA) created the resource out of the need they observed firsthand, according to MiA Community Organizer Jacky Garcia; the organization supports survivors of domestic violence. An official county voter pamphlet translation is only required by the state of 5% of the county speaks a specific language other than English as their primary language.
U.S. Census numbers show Spanish speakers make up a little more than half the required threshold. Though Spokane County still believes the resources is necessary and has value.
“We’re really excited about [the translated pamphlet],” Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton said. “We already have so many mandated requirements we have to meet which are very costly and going in and asking for more money really isn’t an option here.”
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is also offering translated materials through nine sample ballots. LWV has offered translated sample ballots in the past, but nine languages are new record: Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
LWV collected grant money and other resources to pay for the translations, according to LWV Spokane Area Vice President Elaine Harger.
These resources are not official county documents, according to Dalton; therefore, Spokane County will not review or correct any language that could be called into question. Those resources can be found on the Spokane County election website.
