The California State Language Accessibility Advisory Committee was established in 2016 to advise the Secretary of State on the accessibility of elections and election materials to non-English preference voters. Chief Elections Officer Mark Church established the San Mateo County Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (LAAC) in 2017.
Mission
The mission of the San Mateo County LAAC is to advise and assist the Chief Elections Officer on matters relating to language accessibility to the electoral process by voters with limited English proficiency and to enhance language accessibility opportunities and compliance with all federal, state and local laws.
Responsibilities
- Provide expertise and advice on language accessibility issues
- Gather feedback from local communities on language accessibility issues
- Propose recommendations on how to better assist voters with specific language needs
- Monitor new laws and regulations on elections language accessibility issues
Committee Members
| Name | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Charmaine Mesina | Community Member | |
| Wesley Taoka | San Mateo Japanese-American Community Center | sanmateojacc@gmail.com |
| Rosa Maria Uriate | Immigration Institute of the Bay Area | ruriarte@iibayarea.org |
Participating Organizations
| Participating Organizations | |
|---|---|
| Advancing Justice–Asian Law Caucus | sietseg@advancingjustice-alc.org |
| Immigration Institute of the Bay Area | redwoodcity@iibayarea.org |
| Self-Help for the Elderly | phillixf@selfhelpelderly.org |
| Thrive Alliance | info@thrivealliance.org |
| Heathways | healthwaysdc@gmail.com |
| Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center (PBRC) | info@pbrcsmc.com |
| Taulama for Tongans | TaulamaforTongans@gmail.com |
Organization
The LAAC consists of five (5) to seven (7) members who are selected and appointed directly by the San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer. LAAC members should either reside or work in San Mateo County. It is preferred and recommended that the members are fluent in Spanish, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Burmese and/or Hindi in addition to the English language. Members of the committee should also be familiar with language accessibility issues for minority communities.
Below you will find the San Mateo County LAAC Charter and an application to become a member. We encourage you to apply if you are able to provide input on behalf of any language community. Please contact the Registration & Elections Division at 650.312.5222 or registrar@smcacre.gov with any questions or comments.