Registrar of Voters Barbara J. Levey announced that the Merced County Registrar of Voters Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (LAAC) is now accepting membership applications. The LAAC is an all-volunteer committee established to advise on issues related to language accessibility for elections and elections materials. The mission of the LAAC is to advise and assist with implementation of federal and state laws relating to access to the electoral process by voters with limited-English proficiency so that all persons eligible to vote can understand the voting process. The LAAC also provides recommendations identifying and prioritizing activities, programs, and policies to ensure every voter has equal access to the ballot.
This is a volunteer committee. There is no stipend or reimbursement for participating in LAAC.
The application period is open until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2017.
“Our view has been from the top-down, looking at the various laws and how to comply with them,” Levey said. “Now we need to take the next step and look at how things operate from the perspective of our affected voters. Firsthand knowledge from the perspective of someone who is actually at the other end of the voting pen is crucial.”
The committee will consist of at least 5 members who have demonstrated language accessibility experience and have knowledge of methods for presenting written materials.
Requirements for appointment:
- Commitment to meet once-per-month.
- Desire to improve election accessibility for language minorities.
- Ability to advise on outreach initiatives, and provide support to program leads.
- Motivation to complete work and see real results.
For additional information or questions, please contact the Merced County Registrar of Voters office at (209) 385-7541 or elections@co.merced.ca.us.