Secretary Read Invites Oregonians with Dual Language Proficiency to Apply for Translation Advisory Council

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is encouraging Oregonians to apply to serve as volunteers on the Translation Advisory Council (TAC). The Council needs volunteer members who can read and write in Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters, Arabic, Iu Mien, Korean, Nepali, Japanese, or Somali.

“Our elections should be available to every eligible Oregonian,” Secretary Read said. “The Translation Advisory Council makes sure that language is not a barrier between any voter and their right to make informed, accurate decisions.”

While there is no firm deadline for applying, the priority deadline for applicants interested in current openings is July 15. New member service begins August 1.

Click here to apply.

The TAC was established in 2022 to guide the office's work of translating voters’ pamphlets for each election. Volunteer members of the TAC spend time before each election reviewing translated voters’ pamphlet materials to ensure accuracy and cultural appropriateness for eligible voters who have limited English proficiency.

To be a member of the TAC, an applicant must be a resident of Oregon with civic service and lived experience in a community served by translated voters’ pamphlets. Applicants must also be proficient in English and one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Iu Mien, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Marshallese, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Ukrainian, or Vietnamese.

The Secretary of State’s office accepts applications on a rolling basis, meaning interested individuals with proficiency in any of the identified languages should feel free to apply. Applications are kept on file and may be used in selecting members for future openings.