Language Requirements

Minority Language Requirements

Pursuant to §24.2-128 of the Code of Virginia and the federal Voting Rights Act, localities that meet certain population criteria based on the decennial census and the 5-year American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau must provide voting or election materials in specific designated languages other than English.

As of December 2021, there are 4 Virginia localities that are required to provide materials in other languages:

• Fairfax County: Spanish and Vietnamese
• Prince William County: Spanish
• Manassas City: Spanish
• Manassas Park City: Spanish

As the State Board of Elections is required to prescribe various election forms and documents, ELECT translates voting or election materials into the designated languages of Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as Korean, which is frequently used by Fairfax County. The translated election materials include but are not limited to voter registration applications, voter assistance forms, absentee mail-in instructions, and candidate qualification information.

The Code of Virginia also requires ELECT's website to be translated, at a minimum, into the designated languages determined under §24.2-128. ELECT’s website is currently translated into 11 languages beyond English, including the required languages listed above.