Language requirements for election materials are governed under the federal Voting Rights Act and the state Elections Code.

Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act requires that in certain situations (counties where more than 10,000 or 5% of all total voting-age citizens who are members of a single language minority group, have depressed literacy rates, and do not speak English very well) election materials that are available in English must also be made available in the language of particular minority group.  Section 203 targets those language minorities that have suffered a history of exclusion from the political process:  Spanish-heritage, Asian, Native American, and Alaskan Native.

The U.S. Census Bureau identifies the specific language groups for states and county jurisdictions, based on census information, every 5 years. The latest Section 203 determination was December 8, 2021.  The next determination is expected in December 2026.

For more information on Section 203, please visit the Department of Justice’s website: https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-language-minority-voting-rights.

California Elections Code section 14201 further requires that county elections officials provide a translated facsimile ballot and related instructions in a conspicuous location in precincts where 3% or more of the voting-age residents are members of a single language minority and lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance.  The Secretary of State is required to make these Section 14201 determinations by January 1 of each year in which the governor is elected. 

Pursuant to Elections Code section 14201(b)(1), the Secretary of State has reinstated prior precinct minority language determinations in addition to the designations made on December 31, 2021, see CCROV#22039. These language determinations shall be effective for elections conducted on June 7, 2022, and thereafter and shall remain in effect until further notice.

For more information on Section 14201: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=ELEC&sectionNum=14201.

The chart below identifies the language requirements for each county under Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act and Elections Code section 14201.  Please note that this chart is based upon 2016 and 2020 precinct information and data, as previously provided by the California Statewide Database at U.C. Berkeley.  The requirements provided in the chart will remain in place through December 31, 2025.  The next determinations will be issued by January 1, 2026.  

For additional translation resources, please see our website at:  https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california.

Ballot Translations and Posting Requirements Summary by County Based on 2016 and 2020 General Election Precincts Effective: February 28, 2022, for Elections on June 7, 2022, and thereafter
KEY
 
  • Asterisked (*) language minority groups (Chinese and Filipino) include languages within that language group.
  • BOLD languages under column, "14201 Covered Languages," are new requirements as of January 1, 2020.
  • Red BOLD highlighted languages are reinstated languages as of February 28, 2022, for elections conducted on June 7, 2022, and thereafter.¹
County Section 203 (Federal) 14201
Alameda Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Hispanic
Filipino
Vietnamese

Burmese

Cambodian/Khmer

Hindi

Korean

Laotian

Mien

Mongolian

Panjabi

Telugu

Alpine   None
Amador   Spanish
Butte  

Hmong

Spanish

Calaveras   Spanish
Colusa Hispanic
None
Contra Costa Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Hispanic

Filipino

Hindi

Korean

Laotian

Nepali

Panjabi

Tamil

Telugu

Vietnamese

Del Norte   Spanish
El Dorado  

Chinese

Spanish

Fresno Hispanic

Cambodian/Khmer

Chinese

Filipino

Hmong

Korean

Laotian

Panjabi

Vietnamese

Glenn Hispanic None
Humboldt  

Hmong

Spanish

Imperial Hispanic None
Inyo   Spanish
Kern Hispanic

Filipino

Panjabi

Kings Hispanic Filipino
Lake   Spanish
Lassen   Spanish
Los Angeles Cambodian
Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Korean
Hispanic
Filipino*
Vietnamese

Armenian

Bengali

Burmese
Farsi

Gujarati

Hindi

Indonesian

Japanese

Khmer

Mongolian

Persian

Russian

Telugu

Thai

Madera Hispanic Panjabi
Marin  

Chinese

Spanish
Vietnamese

Mariposa  

Filipino

Spanish

Mendocino   Spanish
Merced Hispanic

Chinese

Hmong

Mien

Panjabi

Modoc   Spanish
Mono   Spanish
Monterey Hispanic

Filipino

Korean

Vietnamese

Napa Hispanic Filipino
Nevada   Spanish
Orange Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Korean
Hispanic
Vietnamese

Filipino

Gujarati

Hindi

Japanese

Persian

Placer  

Filipino

Korean

Panjabi

Spanish

Plumas   Spanish
Riverside Hispanic

Chinese

Filipino

Korean

Vietnamese

Sacramento

Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Hispanic

Vietnamese

Filipino

Hindi

Hmong

Japanese

Korean

Laotian

Mien

Panjabi

Telugu

Urdu

San Benito Hispanic None
San Bernardino Hispanic

Chinese

Filipino

Indonesian
Korean

Vietnamese

Thai

San Diego Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Hispanic
Filipino
Vietnamese

Arabic

Korean
Japanese

Laotian

San Francisco Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Hispanic

Burmese

Filipino

Japanese

Korean

Thai

Vietnamese

San Joaquin Hispanic

Chinese

Cambodian/Khmer

Filipino

Hindi

Hmong

Laotian

Panjabi

Urdu
Vietnamese

San Luis Obispo  

Filipino

Spanish

San Mateo

Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*

Filipino
Hispanic

Burmese

Japanese

Korean

Hindi

Santa Barbara Hispanic

Chinese

Filipino

Korean

Santa Clara Chinese (includes Taiwanese)*
Hispanic
Filipino
Vietnamese

Cambodian/Khmer

Gujarati

Hindi

Japanese

Korean

Nepali

Panjabi

Tamil

Telugu

Santa Cruz   Spanish
Shasta   Spanish
Sierra   Spanish
Siskiyou   Spanish
Solano  

Filipino

Spanish

Sonoma Hispanic

Cambodia/Khmer

Filipino

Vietnamese

Stanislaus Hispanic

Cambodian/Khmer

Panjabi

Syriac

Sutter  

Filipino

Panjabi

Spanish

Tehama   Spanish
Trinity   None
Tulare Hispanic

Burmese

Filipino

Laotian

Tuolumne   Spanish
Ventura Hispanic

Chinese

Filipino

Gujarati

Vietnamese

Yolo  

Chinese

Korean

Panjabi

Spanish

Yuba  

Hmong

Spanish

Past Determinations

  • CCROV #22039 Reinstated Languages Required under California Elections Code section 14201, Language Minority Determinations
  • CCROV #21221 Language Requirements: 14201, Language Minority Determinations
  • CCROV #21204 Language Requirements: Voting Rights Act, Section 203 Language Minority Determinations
  • CCROV #20096 Additional Languages Required under California Elections Code section 14201, Language Minority Determinations
  • CCROV #17148 Language Requirements: 14201, Language Minority Determinations
  • CCROV #16333 Language Requirements: Voting Rights Act, Section 203 Language Minority Determinations