Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to translated voting materials; and amending Ordinance 18086, Section 2, and K.C.C. 2.16.136.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. All citizens, including those for whom English is a second language, should be able to access their right to vote.
2. Research shows that targeted minority language voting materials and related outreach can improve voter turnout. According to a report by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, after coverage provided under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was expanded in 1992, the number of Asian Americans registered to vote increased dramatically. As cited in the journal Legislation and Public Policy vol. 10:195 2006, "in covered areas where the Department of Justice brought section 203 enforcement actions, participation not only in voting but in running for political office increased dramatically."
3. The King County department of elections began its language access program in 2002 with the addition of Chinese under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Vietnamese was added under Section 203 in 2012.
4. King County's True North is "Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive." A welcoming community is an engaged and open community, one that values every voice.
5. In 2015, the King County council adopted Ordinance 18086, which requires that the department of elections examine changes in the use of languages in the King County population at least every five years and provide a report to the King County council, and requires the department of elections to provide services in any language identified in this report as being spoken by ten thousand or more limited-English-proficient residents. That created a standard for in-language service even more inclusive than the one created by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and includes languages not covered by Section 203 such as African and European languages.
6. Ordinance 18086 also required ...
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