King County launches public service campaign in Chinese and Vietnamese

In anticipation of widespread interest in this year’s elections, King County has developed a new public information campaign to reach Chinese- and Vietnamese-speaking citizens.

King County is publishing voting tips in local Asian media, including the Seattle Chinese Post, Northwest Vietnamese News, and Northwest Asian Weekly. Public service announcements also will run in Vietnamese and Chinese on AAT TV. Notable local figures from the Chinese- and Vietnamese-American community have generously donated their time to support this voter education campaign and will be featured in the ads. These supporters include:

• Mrs. Roy Chiao, actor and TV host
• Thach Nguyen, real estate agent and advocate for the homeless
• Verlinda Vu, Miss Vietnam Washington
• Peter Wong, Chairman of Rainbow Missions and expert in adaptive technology

King County Elections translates voting materials into Chinese and Vietnamese, but this is the first time the county has developed a public relations campaign that features local celebrities to help connect with voters.

The Chinese and Vietnamese ad campaign is a companion to a broader promotion effort. Elections departments from four counties (King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap) as well as the Office of the Secretary of State are partnering with local celebrities to connect with voters and help educate them about the process of voting.  The celebrities,  who are donating their time, will begin appearing in ads on radio, TV and online to remind voters to sign their return ballot envelopes, get their ballots back on time, and other important tips that help ensure more ballots can be processed and election costs are reduced. 

To see samples of the ads, go to http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/news/psa/2012.aspx