美国国家公共电台 NPR--Arizona Senate race still undecided as election officials release more ballots

Arizona Senate race still undecided as election officials release more ballots²

Transcript³

Vote counting centers in Arizona are working full speed ahead on the tabulation⁴ of votes to determine key statewide races. Hanging in the balance is the fate of the U.S. Senate as both Republicans and Democrats⁵ are trying to gain greater control of the chamber⁶.

Maricopa County, which has the largest share of voters in the state, faced record breaking day-of ballot¹ drop offs, which is contributing to the long counting process. But officials are pushing back against conspiracy⁷ theories that the process is being delayed.

Late Thursday, officials released the latest numbers showing that more than 300,000 ballots still need to be counted. In Pima County, the second largest county, more than 100,000 ballots are still outstanding.

In Arizona voters have three ways to vote: mail in, drop off and in person. And voters have the option to turn in the ballot mailed to them on Election Day itself.

According to election officials, state law requires all mail in and drop off ballots to be individually signature verified. Then those ballots have to go through a bipartisan processing board, which is a team of two people that check the ballot. Once that's complete, it goes into tabulation.

By the numbers, Maricopa County experienced a record number of these ballots. On Election Day itself, more than 290,000 voters dropped a ballot off at a polling location as opposed to voting in person or mailing it in. That is 100,000 more than in 2020, which held the most recent record.

Both former President Donald Trump⁸ and GOP candidate for governor Kari Lake have accused Maricopa officials of delaying the process.

Arizona was the center of some of the election conspiracy theories to come out of the 2020 election that falsely claimed the election was stolen from Trump. Election deniers who echoed those claims fared well in the GOP primary elections earlier this year. All three Republican candidates at the top of the ticket spread falsehoods about 2020.

It therefore has not surprised election officials in Arizona that Lake is now accusing them of delaying or stalling the release of results.

"Quite frankly⁹, it is offensive for Kari Lake to say that these people behind me are slow rolling this when they're working 14 to 18 hours," said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors¹⁰ Chairman Bill Gates. "I really hope that this is the end of that now, we can be patient and respect the results when they come out."

The count must go on, even amid threats

In 2020, protesters turned out to protest at the Maricopa County vote counting center, leading officials to take extra precautions this year. Though few protesters have come by the center, Gates told reporters threats have continued for members of the elections board.

"That is now a way of life for me and my colleagues," he explained. "It shouldn't be for all the election workers and election officials across the country, but that is now a way of life."

When asked what he would say to those making threats against him and other election workers, he invoked¹¹ his own family to send a message.

"I would have them just stop for a second and think about my grandpa. My grandpa was a World War II veteran who was in Europe," Gates said. "He was not fighting for their right to pick up a phone or type in a text threatening someone's life. He was fighting for the right of each and every one of us to vote and select our own leaders. So my grandpa would not be cool with that."

Officials first hoped to have up to 95% of ballots counted by Friday. With updated counts, they expect tabulation to bleed into the weekend.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 tabulation   

作表，表格； 表列结果； 列表； 造表

参考例句：

• A tabulation of a function of two variables is cumbersome, but possible. 二元函数的列表法是不方便的，然而是可能的。
• Such a tabulation cannot represent adequately the complex gradation relationships between the types. 这样的图表不能充分代表各类型之间的复杂级配关系。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

11 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》