Q&A
Concerns about comprehensibility of translated ballot materials
1:42:17
·
87 sec
Council Member Hanif raises concerns about the comprehensibility of translated ballot materials, particularly for the Bangladeshi community. Executive Director Ryan explains the translation process for different types of ballot materials.
- Hanif notes that while the community appreciates translated ballots, they are often incomprehensible
- She inquires about the review process for translations to ensure comprehensibility
- Ryan explains that the translation process differs depending on the source of the material
- He mentions that state and city propositions come as finished products, while other ballot materials are translated in-house
Shahana K. Hanif
1:42:17
Right.
1:42:18
So, you know, something that I I keep thinking about as somebody who's of Bangladeshi descent, speaks the Bangla language fluently, but born in Brooklyn, I've seen, you know, the community, 1, feel really grateful that there's, translated ballots, that they're they are receiving information in the language, but oftentimes incomprehensible.
1:42:39
So I'm curious if there's, you know, outside of I don't know who is doing an, an the review for what gets translated, but would love to better understand if there is a structure to ensure that the translated material is comprehensive and
Michael Ryan
1:42:56
Right.
1:42:56
Comprehensible.
1:42:57
Yeah.
1:42:57
Depending on where it comes from, that depends on who's doing the translation.
1:43:02
So for example, we had some state, and city, propositions on on the ballots this year.
1:43:08
Those come to us as a finished product, with the trade.
1:43:12
Translations were terrible.
1:43:14
We try to, to the extent that we can, offer some constructive, assistance, but it's not, it's the responsibility of those entities to provide us with a finished, product.
1:43:25
When it comes to the rest of the ballot, the instructions, the candidate names, for all of the languages that we are required to, by law to provide, translation assistance for, interpreter assistance for, we do all of those, those translations in house.
