LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has announced that by the end of the month, every Secretary of State branch office will be equipped with new handheld translation devices to assist customers who speak languages other than English.

The devices, called Pocketalk , provide real-time translation in Spanish, Arabic, Bangla, and more than 80 other languages.

Users simply speak into the device, which then translates the message and delivers it to the other person in both audible and printed formats.

“We usually refer to Pocketalk as ‘Buddy.’ It has been a game-changer for my office,” said Marquita Cargill, manager of the Wyoming Secretary of State office in West Michigan. “You can see our customers’ anxiety melt away when they realize that we can communicate with the

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