Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the Secretary of State and County Clerk of certain counties to provide multilingual ballot access.

Highlights:

• Defines "minority language ballot" as a ballot that is fully translated into a language other than english. The content of a "minority language ballot" may be in only a language other than english or both english and a language other than english (Sec. 1-1-5-903-2).

• Requires the secretary of state shall establish a multilingual ballot hotline to provide access to a qualified translator or interpreter in each of the languages translating ballot language (Sec. 1-1-5-904-1).

• Requires the secretary of state to provide notice on the secretary's website and shall create signs to be posted by county clerks at all voter service and polling centers to inform electors that the multilingual ballot hotline is available to electors statewide from the first day that domestic ballots for statewide general and coordinated elections are mailed to electors through election day (Sec. 1-1-5-904-2).

• Requires the secretary of state to ensure that each translator or interpreter who provides translations for the multilingual ballot hotline is a qualified translator or interpreter in the language or languages in which the translator or interpreter provides ballot translation assistance (Sec. 1-1-5-904-3).

• Requires the county clerk to provide multilingual ballot access by creating a minority language sample ballot and to provide an in-person minority language ballot if (Sec. 1-1-5-905-1):

• The county has at least 2,000 citizens age 18 years or older who speak English less than very well, as defined by the united states bureau of the census American community survey or comparable census data, and who speak a shared minority language at home; or

• At least 2.5 percent of citizens in the county age 18 years or older speak English less than very well, as defined by the united states bureau of the census American community survey or comparable census data, and speak a shared minority language at home.

• Requires the county clerk to in coordination with the secretary of state, create a minority language sample ballot in any minority language spoken in the county that satisfies the following (Sec. 1-1-5-906-1):

• The minority language is spoken by at least 2,000 citizens in the county age 18 years or older who speak English less than very well, as defined by the united states bureau of the census American community survey, and who speak the minority language at home; or

• The minority language is spoken by at least two and 0.5 percent of citizens in the county 18 years or older who speak english less than very well, as defined by the United States Bureau of the Census American Community Survey, and who speak the minority language at home.

• Requires the county clerk to notify all electors via the mail ballot packet and in each language in which the in-person minority language ballot option will be available for electors to request an in-person minority language ballot in the applicable language at any voter service and polling center in the county (Sec. 1-1-5-907-4).

Full Bill Text