When do we vote? Santa Clara County ditches Vietnamese election sign after botching date

SANTA CLARA COUNTY elections officials have taken down a Vietnamese language billboard in San Jose’s Little Saigon neighborhood, after passing drivers noticed it advertised the wrong election date.

Until this month, the billboard on Story Road read “Bầu cử sơ bộ (Primary election)” and “Ngày 5 tháng Ba, 2024 (March 5, 2024).” It should say “Bầu cử tổng quát (General Election)” and “5 tháng 11, 2024 (Nov. 5, 2024).” The translation flub from the Registrar of Voters has Vietnamese American residents groaning about an avoidable error — especially as county elections officials invest in voter outreach to non-English speakers and people who speak English as a second language.