CLICS/CLICS2024A/commsumm.nsf
PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR ELECTION MATERIALS IN COLORADO
INTERIM COMMITTEE LANGUAGE ACCESS ADVISORY BOARD
Date Oct 22, 2024
Location SCR 357
Language Access for Election Materials in Colorado - Committee Discussion Only
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09:41:09 AM |
Mr. Rudy Santos,
Chief Deputy Clerk and Recorder, Weld County, presented on language access
in elections. Slides from his presentation are available as Attachment
B. He provided context and information about Weld County and the variety
of local jurisdictions in the county, and consequently the ballot styles
the county prepares.
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09:43:35 AM |
Mr. Santos noted
that Weld County is not covered by Section 203 of the VRA, but it is covered
under the state formula in HB 21-1011. He noted that the county first provided
Spanish sample ballots in 2022. He explained that he gets translated ballot
content from each jurisdiction to include on the sample ballot.
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09:47:06 AM |
Mr. Santos explained
that the County Clerk and Recorder's office also encompasses motor vehicle
services, and he noted that Weld County uses "Pocket Talk" translators
as a pilot with the state Department of Revenue. The county also uses a
language line at motor vehicle offices. He added that the clerk's office
has Spanish speakers on staff and working as poll workers during elections.
Mr. Santos provided an example of an election advertisement that the county
aired on a Spanish language radio station for the 2024 election.
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09:50:39 AM |
Mr. Santos noted that the short time frame for preparing ballots makes it difficult to proofread the material, including the Spanish translations. He added that the clerk's office is able to use Spanish-speaking staff members to proofread their ballots. Mr. Torres commented on the importance of providing language access and accessibility for people with disabilities to open the doors for participation in government.
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09:58:39 AM |
Commissioner Lopez
discussed with Mr. Santos the ability to assess the effectiveness of radio
ads and other promotional materials. Mr. Santos noted that the county can
review ballot images after the election to see how many ballots were cast
in Spanish, but there is not an easy way to review this data in the state's
election system.
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10:01:58 AM |
Senator Gonzales
asked about 2022 election data and the utilization of Spanish language
materials. Mr. Santos said that while the data is not definitive, Weld
County found fewer than 10 Spanish ballots cast in each of 2022 and 2023.
Senator Gonzales and Mr. Torres further discussed the costs added by litigation
over language access. Ms. Carriero-Contreras questioned the committee and
Mr. Santos about languages other than Spanish. She suggested that the committee
recommend more robust data collection across language access programs.
Discussion continued about services in additional languages.
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