AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In order to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act, Harris County must provide translation of voter registration and ballot materials into Spanish and Vietnamese. As a result of the 2010 Census, the Harris County may also be required to translate election materials into Mandarin Chinese.
Chapter 272 (Bilingual Requirements), Election Code, currently requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to prepare a Spanish translation of election materials, including instruction posters, ballots, and materials furnished to voters in connection with early voting by mail.
As counties other than Harris become more diverse and are thus required to provide translated election materials in languages other than English and Spanish, allowing SOS to prepare the translations will ensure consistency across the state so that translations are not different from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
H.B. 2477 requires SOS to prepare the translation for election materials required to be provided in a language other than English or Spanish to the same extent that SOS prepares Spanish translations.
H.B. 2477 amends current law relating to the provision of bilingual election materials.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Secretary of State in SECTION 1 (Section 272.011, Election Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 272, Election Code, by adding Section 272.011, as follows:
Sec. 272.011. BILINGUAL ELECTION MATERIALS REQUIRED IN CERTAIN POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. (a) Requires a political subdivision, if the director of the census determines under 42 U.S.C. Section 1973aa-1a that the political subdivision is required to provide election materials in a language other than English or Spanish, to provide election materials in that language in the same manner in which the political subdivision would be required to provide materials in Spanish under this chapter, to the extent applicable.
(b) Requires the secretary of state (SOS) to prepare the translation for election materials required to be provided in a language other than English or Spanish to the same extent that SOS prepares Spanish translations under Section 272.007 (Authority Preparing Translation).
(c) Authorizes SOS to adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2011.