Translating Election Materials from English Into Different Languages

Despite what many think, the US hasn’t made English its official language, so creating a multilingual campaign to cater to the wider non-native English speakers has become essential for many political figures to ensure their message and political campaign reach a broader audience.

Translating election materials from English to Spanish and other languages is a critical task that underscores the importance of accuracy and impartiality. This process is essential for ensuring fair and transparent electoral processes, enabling voters from diverse linguistic backgrounds to participate fully in democracy. We will delve into how Tomedes facilitated a wider reach for the candidate’s message, ensuring inclusivity and understanding across a diverse electorate.

Our Client

Our client, a political figure running for election, wanted to ensure that his message reached all the voters in his state as his campaign is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and accessibility. Because of this, he sought to translate several election materials across the different native languages that the non-native English-speaking citizens in his state spoke. 

The Project

The scope of this translation project encompassed a wide range of election materials, including candidate statements, voting instructions, informational pamphlets, Ad campaigns, and political website. In preparation for the upcoming election, his campaign team reached out to us. Besides translating electoral content across six different languages from English to Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, they’re also looking for a translation company that can quickly provide their translated content within 48 hours.

They specifically sought out Tomedes because of our reputation for providing fast delivery of translations without compromising the quality of the output. The project demanded adherence to the highest quality standards, like ISO-certified, to ensure accuracy and cultural sensitivity in every language version. 

A Multicultural Democracy Requires Linguistic Diversity

Translating election materials presents unique challenges. But it’s essential for a truly democratic election as it ensures everyone is given a chance to select and choose the right candidate for them, especially with how multiculturally diverse the US is.

The US Census Bureau reported that about 21.6% of the US population is bilingual. Meanwhile, it is estimated that around 8% of the population are considered Limited English Speakers (LEP). It makes accurately conveying the candidate’s message all the more crucial to ensure that voters are making an informed decision when they vote for the right candidate to represent them.

So, when it comes to translating election materials from English to Vietnamese for instance, you will need to ensure that every word is accurately conveyed to avoid misinterpretation. This is especially crucial when technical terminology and legal jargon come into play, requiring expert knowledge to translate the content effectively.

Tight deadlines are common, as electoral materials are time-sensitive. Additionally, maintaining confidentiality is crucial to protect the integrity of the election process. These are just some of the challenges when implementing a multilingual election campaign.

The Challenges

While we were translating election materials from English to six different languages, we encountered some challenges of our own. Below are some of the challenges that we faced as we set out to translate electoral content across multiple languages:

Maintaining Accuracy: Ensuring the translated materials accurately reflect the original content without bias is a top priority. With our global remote team of native translators, we can simultaneously translate multiple content across various languages. With the help of our native translators, we ensure that every word is properly conveyed.

Navigating Technical Terminology: Election materials often contain specialized language that must be precisely translated to maintain the document's integrity. Because of this, we had native translators specialized in the US legal and political system handle the task to ensure that the goals and policies indicated in the translated election materials were accurate and true to the message of our client.

Meeting Tight Deadlines: Electoral processes operate on strict timelines, making it essential to deliver translated materials promptly. But because Tomedes is a global translation company, our team is available 24/7 as we have language professionals all over the world. Through the use of translation management tools, we can coordinate with various native translators and project managers ensuring that the candidate will receive the translated election materials within  48 hours without any delays or setbacks.

Why Tomedes?

Tomedes stands out as the preferred provider for translating election materials, thanks to our:
Commitment to Quality: Our ISO-certified processes ensure the highest standards of accuracy and impartiality.

Confidentiality: We rigorously protect the confidentiality of all materials, safeguarding the electoral process.

Meeting Deadlines: Our efficient project management ensures timely delivery, even under the tightest deadlines.

The Result

Our team successfully delivered the translated election materials from English to Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese within the 48-hour deadline, enabling the campaign team to send out the election materials quickly to voters across their state. The translations were not only accurate but also culturally nuanced, ensuring the candidate's message was effectively communicated to a diverse electorate.

Conclusion

Accurate and impartial translation is foundational to ensuring fair and transparent elections. By partnering with Tomedes, electoral bodies can guarantee that every voter receives the information they need to participate fully in democracy. To empower your multiculturally diverse voters and have your election campaign reach a broader audience, you can contact us any time if you have any queries about translating election materials and creating multilingual campaign content.