Language Assistance

Signage/ballots

The Clerk’s office is required to provide language assistance in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Urdu and Arabic under amendments to the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1992.

All posters, ballots and voting instructions are bilingual (English/Spanish and, in some precincts, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Urdu and Arabic).

Bilingual election judges

The Clerk’s office assigns bilingual election judges in many precincts with high concentrations of Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Urdu and Arabic-speaking voters who are not proficient in English and may need special assistance at the polls.

Language hotlines

If a voter is confused or needs language assistance, the voter or an election judge can also call one of the language assistance hotlines:

  • En Español llama: (312) 603-6767
  • 以國語接聽,請撥 : (312) 603-6769
  • Polski: (312) 603-6770
  • टेलीफोन: (312) 603-6743
  • Tagalog: (312) 603-6742
  • 한국어: (312) 603-6745
  • Русский: (312) 603-6751
  • Українська: (312) 603-6752
  • ગુજરાતી: (312) 603-6746
  • (312) 603-6748 :اردو
  • (312) 603-6747 :عربي
  • TDD: (312) 603-0902

A bilingual staffer at the Clerk’s office will provide assistance over the phone. Voters may also call these hotlines prior to Election Day.

Touch screen language options

Touch screen machines are equipped with ballots in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Urdu and Arabic allowing the voter to select a language on the touch screen before voting.

In addition, any voter may request an audio ballot, which allows the voter to listen to the ballot using a headset that is connected to a touch screen machine. Audio ballots are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Urdu and Arabic and may be particularly helpful to voters with limited reading skills.