Need help getting my neighbors registered to vote.
How do I say " Can I help you register to vote" in Spanish. I am doing a voter registration drive in my neighborhood where many speak only Spanish, while I unfortunately speak only a little Spanish. I know how to say " Estas registrado paro votar? (With a very bad accent.) But can't go on from there. I do have the registration forms in Spanish.
1 Answer
I have always considered it a somewhat questionable option to start a conversation in which you cannot respond to many of the possible answers you get.
Generally, since I assume you are not dealing with Spaniards, I would use Usted in this case.
I might say:
¿Se ha usted registrado para votar? (talking to one person)= Have you registered to vote
¿Se han ustedes registrado para votar? (talking to one person)= Have you all registered to vote
If you use: Está(n) usted(es) registrado(change o to a-female, as- multiple female, os- group containing one or more males) the endings have to match the situation as registrado is an adjective in this formulation, whereas it is an invariable past participle above.
¿Puedo ayudarlo (la, las, los; unless speaking to people from somewhere that le, les is preferred) (a usted) a registrarse para votar?= Can I help you to register to vote.
Then:
¿Puedo darle(les) un formulario para registrarse?- Can I give you (all) a form for registering.
Again you can see it is a bit difficult unless you understand the grammar, and I don’t see how you can possibly understand all the answers they might give and respond appropriately if your Spanish is that basic.
