VOA慢速英语2018--美国投票监督问题之争
时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:2018年VOA慢速英语(十一)月
The Debate over Voting Restrictions 1 in America
Former United States President Jimmy Carter has travelled the world observing elections to find out if they are fair.
Carter also is a former Democratic governor in the American state of Georgia. Now he is turning attention to an election in his home state. He is asking Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, to resign from his current position as secretary of state.
As secretary of state, Kemp oversees 3 the state’s elections, including his own for governor against Democrat 2 Stacey Abrams.
Carter wrote, “Popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past…but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate.”
He added in a personal letter sent to Kemp, “I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor’s election.”
Carter has offered his support to Abrams.
In a recent debate with Abrams, Kemp said that local officials run the elections process. However, Kemp’s critics have accused him of using his office to make it harder for minorities and other Democratic Party supporters to vote.
They said Kemp’s office held up 53,000 voter registrations 5 under the state’s new law for registration 4 by mail. Under the law, a misspelling or a difference between a family name and a married name can cause a registration to be rejected.
Kemp answered that he is carrying out state law. He also said those would-be voters could still vote if they present acceptable identification to clear up doubts. Kemp’s Republican supporters accused Abrams and the Democrats 6 of wanting to give voting rights to illegal immigrants in advertising 7 seen around the state.
Voting restrictions in America
The state of Georgia is not the only American state with new laws that, critics say, make it harder for people to vote.
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School says that 24 states passed voting measures after the 2010 election. The center studies issues including voting rights and campaign reform in America.
The group reported that 13 states have passed restrictive voter identification laws. Eleven states have laws that make it harder for citizens to register. Seven states have reduced early voting. And three states have passed laws making it harder to restore voting rights to people who have committed crimes.
The U.S. Supreme 8 Court recently declined to block a North Dakota law requiring voters to show identification with current street addresses. Activists 9 argued that the law could prevent 19,000 Native Americans who live on reservations from voting because they often lack street addresses.
In Kansas, the American Civil Liberties Union is bringing legal action against local officials for moving the only voting place outside of Dodge 10 City. The group says the move makes it harder for the city’s Hispanic population to vote. The city also sent new voters, mainly Hispanics, the wrong address.
Kansas, along with Tennessee, Arizona, Alabama and Georgia, have also passed laws requiring proof of citizenship 11 in order to register to vote. The laws are being considered by courts.
Voter fraud
Supporters of the voting restrictions say that these measures are necessary to prevent unlawful voting. And they say the new laws increase public trust in the electoral process.
In 2017, President Donald Trump 12 created a commission to study the issue of unlawful voting. After the 2016 presidential election, Trump had said that millions of illegal ballots 13 had been completed.
The commission, however, ended its work a year later without finding evidence of widespread illegal voting.
I’m Mario Ritter.
Words in This Story
confidence –n. a feeling of being certain that something will happen or that it is true
authority –n. people who have power to make decisions and enforce rules and laws
reservations –n. an area of land in the U.S. that is kept separate as a place for Native Americans to live
- I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
- a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
- The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
- About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后,他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
- She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网
- Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
- What's your registration number?你挂的是几号?
- In addition to the check-in procedures, the room clerks are customarily responsible for recording advance registrations. 除了办理住宿手续外,客房登记员按惯例还负责预约登记。 来自辞典例句
- Be the Elekta expert for products registrations in China. 成为在中国注册产品的医科达公司专家。 来自互联网
- 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》
- Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
- The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。
- It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
- He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
- His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
- Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过。
- The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。
- He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生,但没有瑞典公民身分。
- Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后,她选择了澳大利亚国籍。