NOTE: This list is not exhaustive and there may be instances where you’ll have to change the conjugation or rework the order of words for longer phrases.
Hey y’all! I put this together to serve as a resource for folks doing outreach in Spanish. It’s from my work leading Spanish Content for the Elizabeth Warren for President campaign and the Mark Kelly for Senate campaign. Spanish is spoken so differently everywhere, that there may be words here you disagree with, and that’s okay. It’s a starting point for folks who want to find a way to explain concepts to individuals that feel more comfortable learning about campaigns/politics in Spanish.
NOTE: Please, do not use this as a substitute to hiring proficient Spanish-speakers and paying them what they’re worth for this skillset!
* Gabriela Cid
General Grammar Rules
Capitalization
Unlike English, Spanish does not capitalize:
● days of the week
● months
● languages
● nationalities
● religions
● composition titles (only the first word and proper nouns)
● introductory titles (e.g. señora Wilson) - except when abbreviated (e.g. Sr. for señor, Dr. for doctor and Srta. for señorita)
Dates
In Spanish you write the day + month + year. This is different from the way we are used to writing dates in English (month + day + year). January 21, 2021 would be written 21 de enero del 2021 or 21 de enero de 2021.
Spanish Campaign Glossary
Organizing
Canvass: Visitar a votantes en sus hogares o visitar a votantes
* If you want to be literal and say tocar puertas, that’s fine too, but I like the idea of telling people that they’re visiting voters since the hope is to engage in meaningful convos
Canvass kickoff: Evento para visitar a votantes
Follow us on social media - Síguenos en las redes sociales
GOTV - Movilizar a los votantes
* I’ve seen many use sacar el voto but that just sounds like such a literal translation, definitely prefer movilizar or even alentar a los votantes
Grassroots - Base comunitaria (i.e. “grassroots campaign” can be translated as “campaña de base comunitaria”)
Let’s connect - Contáctanos
Latest news: Últimas noticias
Organizing team - Equipo de organizadores
Phone bank (verb): Haz llamadas a votantes
Phone banking event: Evento para hacer llamadas a votantes
Sign up - Añade tu nombre (add your name) or Inscríbete (register)
Text XYZ to 00000: Envía XYZ al 00000
Text banking: Enviar mensajes de texto
Updates: Actualizaciones
Up and down the ballot: Cada nivel del gobierno
Political
American - Estadounidense
* Note: My dad told me early on the Americas extended far beyond the United States which to me has always meant, DON’T use America or americanos. The Americas extend beyond the United States, especially for folks from Latin America.
Choice (as in reproductive rights): Derecho de decidir sobre su(s) propio(s) cuerpo(s)
Corporate influence: Influencia de las corporaciones
Corporate PAC: Comité de acción política corporativo
Donation (financial): Contribución
Drug companies: Compañías farmacéuticas
Ending Washington Corruption - Ponerle fin a la corrupción en Washington
Enforcement (as in “enforcing the law”): Aplicación de la(s) ley(es)
Entrepreneur: Empresario
Environment: Medio ambiente
Environmental justice - Justicia ambiental
Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - La Ley de Ausencia Familiar y Médica (language used by DOL)
Filibuster - Stays in English, with italics: filibuster
Green New Deal - “Green New Deal”
Green (e.g. Green jobs) - Sostenible
HBCUs - Universidades Históricamente Afroamericanas (HBCUs por sus siglas en inglés)
Guns: Armas de fuego
Gun Violence: Violencia armada
Health care: For this word, there are multiple variations depending on what specifically we are discussing in regards to health care.
● Sistema de cuidado de salud - when speaking about general health care system
● Cobertura médica - when speaking about coverage
● Atención médica - when speaking about literal care
Law enforcement: Cuerpos policiacos
Level the playing field - crear oportunidades equitativas
Loopholes - Vacíos legales
Medicare for All - Medicare para todos; though I would also consider leaving as “Medicare for All” if we’re speaking about the legislative proposal specifically
Migrants - Migrantes
MSIs - Instituciones Dirigidas a Minorías (MSIs por sus siglas en inglés)
Pre-existing condition: Condición preexistente
Prescription drugs: Medicamentos/medicamentos recetados
Racial wealth gap - Brecha económica racial
Ragged edge of the middle class - Al borde de la clase media
Rebuilding the middle class - Reconstruir la clase media
Retired: Jubilado/a
Retirement: Jubilación
Running for office: Postularse como candidato, etc
* I’m running for office because… Me postulé como candidato porque...
Runoff: Segunda vuelta
Seniors: Personas de la tercera edad
Small business: Pequeño negocio
Small business owner: Dueño de pequeño negocio
Student loan debt - Deuda por préstamos estudiantiles
Surprise billing: Facturas sorpresa
Unions: Sindicatos
Voucher program: Programa de vales
Welcoming - Hospitalario (in reference to immigration policy)
Voting
Ballot: Boleta/Boleta electoral
Check your voter registration: Confirma tu registro de votante
Drop off ballot at...: Devolver tu boleta a...
Drop box (voting): Buzón electoral
Early ballot: Boleta electoral temprana
Early voting: Votación temprana
Mail-in ballot: Boleta electoral por correo / boleta por correo
Pen: Pluma
* People say this word in LOTS of different ways we recently found out, but if you’re speaking to a general audience that’s very diverse, this seemed to have been the one more known generally
Polling location: Lugar de votación
Polls (i.e., polls are open): Urnas (i.e., Las urnas están abiertas.)
Register to vote: Inscríbete para votar
* Regístrate para votar seems to have evolved into being acceptable, though not my preference
Return ballot by mail: Devolver tu boleta por correo postal
Update your voter registration: Actualiza tu registro de votante
Vote by mail (noun): Votación por correo
Vote by mail (verb): Votar por correo