COLORADO SPRINGS — The Colorado Springs Municipal Election is less than a month away. Election day is April 1. This election is only for residents who live within the city limits. You will not receive a ballot if you have an address outside the city limits.
Some people tell News5 it's hard to cast a ballot. The reason is the language barrier. According to the City of Colorado Springs, Korean is the third most spoken language in the city.
"I didn't hear about it," said Whangil Kim, Owner of Kim's Auto Tech.
Kim says he doesn't know about elections until he gets ballots in the mail.
"It's not easy to understand... It's not easy to (know) who to vote (for)," said Kim.
The Owner of Joy Senior Center, Myong Kim, says many elders don't know much about their social benefits. They put elections in the rearview mirror.
"Many Korean elders who live in Colorado Springs don't even know anything about their benefits at all," said Myong Kim.
She says she tries to provide information whenever the center holds events.
According to the President of the Southern Colorado Korean Association, Elizabeth Kim, there are approximately 10,000 Koreans in the city. Elizabeth Kim sees the language barrier as one of the most significant gaps to fill.
"If we can give them brochures or something in both languages, (they would) be aware of what's going on in the city and what we can participate in for the city," said Elizabeth Kim.
The City of Colorado says ballots are only available in English, but it offers translation for those who need it.
Voters can go to the city's website city's website and use a tool at the bottom of the page that can translate it into most languages.
If you need further assistance, the city clerk's office offers translation services, which allow voters to communicate with those individuals. More information is available here.
"It has to have some kind of groups and they have to explain to so many Koreans so that they can understand (what's on the ballot)," said Whangil Kim.
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