时代周刊:选票争夺战(1)（在线收听）

The Battle for the Ballot

选票争夺战

By Vera Bergengruen

文/维拉·伯根鲁恩

Voter-access laws may determine elections in 2020 and beyond

2020乃至之后的选举将如何上演 答案或许就在选民准入法规里

The winner of the 2020 presidential election will depend not only on who votes but also on who doesn't.

2020年总统选举究竟会花落谁家？答案不仅取决于谁投了票，还取决于谁没有投票。

Four years after 77,744 ballots in three states gave the White House to Donald Trump,

四年前，三个州的77744张选票将唐纳德·特朗普送进了白宫，

state lawmakers are battling over voting rules that will determine whether millions of Americans get a chance to cast a ballot in November.

四年后，由于事关数百万美国人是否有机会在11月照常投票，州议员们就投票规则展开了激烈的讨论。

So far this year, 29 states have introduced at least 188 bills to expand voting rights

今年以来，美国已有29个州提出至少188项扩大选举权的法案，

by making registration and absentee voting easier, and by restoring the vote to former felons.

具体做法包括简化选民登记及缺席投票的程序、恢复前重刑犯的投票权等。

At the same time, legislators in 15 mostly Republican states have introduced at least 35 bills that would make it harder to vote,

另一方面，无党派机构布伦南正义中心的分析显示，

according to an analysis by the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice,

还有15个共和党居多的州的立法人员提出了至少35项加大投票难度的法案，

often by imposing stricter voter-identification requirements.

具体办法主要是提高对选民身份认证的要求。

Key Electoral College states like Florida and Virginia are among those still grappling with questions about ballot access.

其他一些州，包括佛罗里达、弗吉尼亚等选举人团的关键州则在苦苦应付有关参选权的问题。

With the presidency and control of Congress on the line,

由于事关总统大位和国会控制权，

"This could make or break the election," says Paul Smith, vice president of the Campaign Legal Center.

用竞选法律中心副总裁保罗·史密斯的话说就是，“选举成败在此一举”。

In 2018, Florida voters approved an amendment to restore the vote to 1.4 million people with felony convictions,

2018年，佛罗里达州选民曾投票支持通过修正案，恢复140万被判重罪的人的投票权，

a move celebrated by backers as the biggest voting-rights win in recent U.S. history.

在支持者们看来，这一举措无异于美国近代史上推动投票权进程中取得的最大胜利。

But more than a year later,

然而，时间过去了一年多，

its implementation remains mired in partisan legal battles over the Florida supreme court's ruling

这一法案一直因党派纷争未能落地，原因在于佛罗里达州最高法院已经裁定，

that felons have to pay back all fines and fees related to their convictions before being granted the right to vote.

恢复重罪犯的投票权之前，重罪犯必须先偿清所有与定罪有关的罚款和费用。

While a clause in the law allows those fees to be waived, it is mainly being used in Democratic-leaning counties.

尽管该法案中有一项条款规定允许免除有关费用，但到目前为止，应用这一法案的大多是偏民主党的郡县。

And as Florida's March 17 presidential primary gets closer,

佛罗里达州3月17日总统初选已经日益临近，

local election officials say they still have not received guidance on how to handle ex-felons' registrations.

当地选举官员却表示，他们至今尚未收到如何处理重罪犯登记的指示。