ATLANTA — As the Peach State emerged as one of the country's political battleground states in the last presidential election, it's clear that the road to the White House in the 2024 Presidential Election is through Georgia.
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In an effort to make every vote count, some areas in metro Atlanta are providing ballots in languages other than English. This story will cover metro Atlanta counties offering election materials in different languages. However, voters should note that some cities have decided to offer their election materials in various languages, too.
During local elections, people can check with city officials to see if sample ballots and other election materials would be provided in different languages.
Gwinnett County non-English election material
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Under the Voting Rights Act, Gwinnett County is federally obligated to provide election materials in Spanish.
The law, known as Section 203, mandates that a county provide voting materials in a language other than English when at least 5% of the community's voting-age population speaks another language. Gwinnett County's Spanish-speaking population is the only community in the state that reaches this threshold.
However, in 2021, Gwinnett County officials made a commitment and later included it in their budget to offer election materials in more languages.
Deeming it an effort of language equity, Gwinnett County also offers election materials in the following languages:
- Vietnamese
- Korean
- Chinese
- Spanish
- English
Click here to view the consolidated sample ballots for the General Election on Nov. 5 in Gwinnett County. You can view the ballot in Spanish online here and the ballot in Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese by clicking here.
According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, ballots will only be offered in English and Spanish. After inserting their voter access card, voters can select their preferred language on the ballot marking device.
DeKalb County multilingual election materials
DeKalb County in 2020 became the first Georgia county to translate voter materials in Spanish and Korean voluntarily.
The DeKalb County Supervisor of Elections Office continues this effort by providing election materials in four languages:
What if my county doesn't offer my ballot in my native language?
Ask a poll worker for help
This is when voters can rely on a poll worker.
Counties are encouraged to hire bilingual poll workers who are equipped and allowed to assist voters through the voting process. If voters need assistance, they are encouraged to ask a poll worker to explain the steps necessary to cast a ballot at their precinct.
Use a sample ballot
Another tip is to check out your sample ballot by going to the Secretary of State's Office and the My Voter Page section. Plan your vote at home with translation resources so you're prepared for the polls.
People can also use this tool to translate sample ballots into Spanish and compare them with their county or municipal ballots to familiarize themselves with how their ballots will look at the polls.
11Alive is committed to helping you vote confidently by understanding the 2024 election issues that impact you. Our goal is to educate and inform about the election process. We plan to do that by verifying facts, providing context, and explaining the system. Get more election resources here at 11alive.com/vote.