In the United States, many Hispanic Americans face various challenges when trying to find voting information, such as voting dates, registration information and applications for ballot by post. For example, incorrect translations have been found on election websites, or simply a lack of details, despite the fact that Hispanic Americans form the second largest people group after non-Hispanic whites, comprising 18.4% of the population, according to the 2010 census. For these reasons, translating voting information is very important.
One such example of a mistake was the mistranslation of party (as in political party), as ‘fiesta’, not ‘partido’, in Refugio County, which has a population that is 51% Hispanic, in South Texas. As a result, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a complaint against many elections administrators, alleging that 17 Texan counties are breaking federal voting laws in the way that they provide information for Spanish speakers. ACLU claims to have found violations of the Voting Rights Act, which requires accurate translations in counties where the voting age population has more than 10,000 Spanish speakers with limited English proficiency, or in areas where Spanish-speakers make up more than 5% of the voting age population. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act states that when any covered state or political subdivision “provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots, it shall provide them in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in the English language.”
Some voting information on election websites is only accessible in Spanish via a discreet Google Translate link, which is well known for producing translation errors or has no corresponding Spanish language link for information provided in English. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice states that inaccurate or unclear automated machine translations are not adequate under Section 203. The regulations given by the Department of Justice specifically require that translations be “clear, complete and accurate” and that jurisdictions consult with members of the minority group to provide the necessary translations.
The importance of translating voting information
According to Edgar Saldivar, senior staff attorney for ACLU of Texas, “accurately translated materials are critical to protecting Texans’ right to vote…Counties need to do their part to protect the most fundamental right in our democracy.”
The importance of accurate translation cannot be stressed highly enough, for the representation of people groups and the future of nations, because poor translations can be misleading for voters and can make them feel unwelcome. Many people’s livelihoods, culture and communities in the US are shaped by the Spanish language and it is important that they are represented in the country in which they reside.
This is just one example highlighting the importance of translation, especially accurate translation, not only for the exchange of ideas and information, but to ensure that people are not overlooked and that their rights, such as the right to vote, are maintained.