1. (1) The following definitions apply for purposes of OAR 165-024-0010 and OAR 165-024-0020.
2. (2) Candidate Filer means a candidate or a candidate’s agent.
3. (3) Candidate’s agent means a person who has actual oral or written authority, either express or implied, to make or authorize the filing of translated statements on behalf of the candidate.
4. (4) Community Validation means obtaining recommendations from a range of culturally and linguistically diverse communities to ensure that translated materials meet the information needs of the intended audience in a culturally and linguistically responsive way.
5. (5) Council means the Translation Advisory Council.

6. (6) The County List of Languages means the languages of translation for each county’s voters’ pamphlet, determined to be the sum of the following:

   1. (a) The Top Five Languages in the state of Oregon; and
   2. (b) All of the Top Ten Languages in the county that are the primary language for at least 300 people with Limited English Proficiency in the county; and
   3. (c) Any language that previously appeared on the Top Ten Languages list for the county, if the language remains the primary language for at least 300 people in the county who have Limited English Proficiency; and
   4. (d) If none of the Top Ten Languages in the county is the primary language for at least 300 people with Limited English Proficiency in the county, then the Most Commonly Spoken Language in the county.
7. (7) County Voters’ Pamphlet means a written document mailed at the direction of a county elections official to county residents for the purpose of providing any of the information described in OAR 165-024-0025.
8. (8) Culturally responsive means identifying, nurturing, and using community customs, norms, and values, usually through direct experience in a culture, and appropriately expressing and reflecting those to meet the intended audience’s needs.
9. (9) Language(s) means languages other than English.
10. (10) Limited English Proficiency means that a person does not speak English as their primary language and has a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English.
11. (11) Local Ballot Measure Information means the local government ballot title, explanatory statements and statements created by state, local and special government bodies.
12. (12) The Most Commonly Spoken Language(s) in a state or county means the primary language(s) for the most people in the state or county who have Limited English Proficiency.
13. (13) Plain Language means written communication that the intended audience can understand the first time they read it.
14. (14) Political Party means a political party that has qualified as a major political party under ORS 248.006 or a minor political party that has qualified as a minor political party under ORS 248.008.
15. (15) Selected Voters’ Pamphlet Material means the portions of the state and county voters’ pamphlets that this rule requires the Secretary of State to have translated and post online.

16. (16) State List of Languages means the languages of translation for the State Voters’ Pamphlet, determined to be the sum of the following:

    1. (a) The Top Five Languages in the state of Oregon; and
    2. (b) The Top Ten Languages in any county in Oregon, and
    3. (c) Any language that previously appeared in a Top Ten Languages list for any county in Oregon, and
    4. (d) If none of the Top Ten Languages in a county is the primary language for at least 300 people with Limited English Proficiency in the county, then the Most Commonly Spoken Language in that county.
17. (17) Top Five Languages means the five Most Commonly Spoken Languages in the state.
18. (18) Top Ten Languages means the ten Most Commonly Spoken Languages of a county.

19. (19) Translate or translation means transferring written text accurately from one language into another to convey and retain the original meaning in an equivalent and culturally and linguistically responsive manner for the community being served.

    1. (a) Translations of written statements are distinct from interpretation of spoken statements.
    2. (b) The community to be served by a translation of voters’ pamphlet material is the community of people in Oregon who have Limited English Proficiency and who speak the language as their primary language.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 246.150, ORS 251.167 & ORS 251.170

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 251.026, ORS 251.167, ORS 251.170, ORS 251.173, ORS 251.315, SB 1533 (2024) & SB 1014 (2025)

History

ELECT 6-2026, amend filed 03/04/2026, effective 03/09/2026
ELECT 6-2025, temporary amend filed 09/11/2025, effective 09/11/2025 through 03/09/2026
ELECT 1-2023, adopt filed 01/10/2023, effective 01/11/2023
ELECT 25-2022, temporary adopt filed 08/31/2022, effective 09/01/2022 through 02/27/2023