You may have noticed our new look that not only includes this new blog (welcome!) but also our social media profiles and the Primary Election ballot you’ll receive in July.
Why the change? From Elections Director Julie Wise, “When I took office this January, one of my goals was to re-brand King County Elections so that we are better able to connect with our widely diverse population of voters. I wanted a simple, fresh look that would resonate with all of our communities, regardless of what age they are, what language they speak, or where they live.”
We decided to focus on the word “vote” because it is a powerful, enduring concept that translates well in many different languages. We selected blue and red as primary colors and purple and green as secondary colors. Collectively, the vote image and colors communicate enthusiasm, democracy, pride, dedication and the power of your voice. We’d love to know what you think!
Right now, “vote” is in Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese (see below) and we’ll be able to add additional languages as we move forward.
Why these specific languages? Federal law requires counties to translate ballots, voters’ pamphlets and all other voting-related materials if more than 5 percent of voting age citizens in a jurisdiction (Chinese and Vietnamese in King County) are members of a single-language minority group who do not “speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process.” At King County we’ve decided to set an even more inclusive bar – which is why we’ll be adding Korean and Spanish this fall!
Election Connection 