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AP19:022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2019
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Secretary of State Alex Padilla Invites Applications to Language Accessibility Advisory Committee

SACRAMENTO – The deadline to apply for the Secretary of State’s Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (LAAC) is two weeks away. The LAAC is an all-volunteer committee established to advise the Secretary of State on issues related to language accessibility for elections and elections materials. The membership application period is open until March 22, 2019.

“I invite Californians to join our Language Accessibility Advisory Committee and further improve access to the ballot,” said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “For many California voters, English is a second language, and the decisions made by state and local elections officials have a major impact on their ability to vote. Our Language Accessibility Advisory Committee provides critical perspectives and ideas to meet the needs of our diverse state. It is foundational to our democracy that all eligible citizens can easily participate the voting process.”

The committee will consist of at least 15 members who have demonstrated language accessibility experience, and have knowledge of methods for presenting elections materials.

As required by the federal Voting Rights Act, California prepares voter information pamphlets in 10 languages — English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese — for nearly 19.7 million registered voters.

Requirements for appointment:

  • Must have demonstrated language accessibility experience, knowledge of presenting election material in plain language, or experience working within a specific language minority community OR Be a county elections official or a designee of such an official.
  • Must be able to attend regular meetings in Sacramento or one of the designated satellite locations.
  • Must serve a minimum of two years.

Click here for the Language Accessibility Advisory Committee Application

The Secretary of State intends to develop a diverse applicant pool and subsequently appoint a diverse committee. Please share this announcement with your communities including bilingual poll workers, organizational leadership, and experienced volunteers.

Completed applications or requests for applications, information, or other inquiries can be sent to laac@sos.ca.gov.

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