TED演講者：Tiana Epps-Johnson / Tiana Epps-Johnson

演講標(biāo)題：An election redesign to restore trust in US democracy / 如何通過重構(gòu)選舉來恢復(fù)美國民主的信譽(yù)度

內(nèi)容概要：Election infrastructure in the United States is crumbling, says technologist Tiana Epps-Johnson, and, even worse, election officials are increasingly being attacked simply for doing their jobs. How can the country rebuild trust in its local and national elections? Epps-Johnson describes how the US Alliance for Election Excellence, a nonpartisan collaborative of election officials, technologists, designers and other experts, is working across all 50 states to improve the performance of systems serving 240 million voters, ensuring everyone has access to a fair, trustworthy and modern democratic process. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change. If you want to hear even more about Epps-Johnson's work, stick around after the talk on the "TED Talks Daily" podcast, where she digs deeper into her ideas.)

技術(shù)專家Tiana Epps-Johnson認(rèn)為，美國的選舉基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施正在崩塌。更糟糕的是，越來越多的選舉官員僅僅因為他們的這份工作而受到攻擊。美國如何重建民眾對地方選舉和全國選舉的信任？ Epps-Johnson向大家介紹了美國卓越選舉聯(lián)盟（一個由選舉官員、技術(shù)人員、設(shè)計師和其他專家組成的無黨派合作組織）如何在全美50個州開展工作，如何提高這一服務(wù)2.4億選民的系統(tǒng)性能，從而確保每個人都能獲得公平可靠且符合現(xiàn)代民主流程的選舉權(quán)。（這一計劃是TED激勵和資助全球變革的倡議中Audacious Project 的一部分。如果您想了解更多關(guān)于Epps-Johnson工作的信息，請關(guān)注演講結(jié)束后的“TED Talks Daily”播客，其中她將深入闡述自己的想法。）

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【1】It's dark days for democracy.

現(xiàn)如今對民主而言可謂在失意時代。

【2】And our crisis is global.

而且我們面對的危機(jī)是全球性的。

【3】If you're like me, you can feel it in your bones.

如果你們跟我一樣, 那么就會本能地感覺到。

【4】My expertise focuses on democracy in the United States, where I live and work.

我所擅長的領(lǐng)域是美國民主, 我身在其中 且工作也圍繞著它。

【5】And while we've long lifted up our own system on a pedestal as an example for the world, we're one of those democracies that's currently in a yearslong decline.

雖然長久以來我們把我們的民主系統(tǒng) 奉為完美, 讓全世界為之效仿, 但我們的民主其實是 正走多年下坡路的其中之一。

【6】So much of the conversation in the media and among experts is about our broken two-party system.

太多各路媒體和專家的討論 都是在圍繞著我們破敗的兩黨制體系。

【7】Democrats vs. Republicans.

民主黨對上共和黨。

【8】And so much of the conversation about voting is about the outcomes: the winners and the losers.

另外太多的討論 無外乎就是關(guān)于選舉的結(jié)果: 獲勝方和敗選方。

【9】These are the wrong conversations if we want to tackle the threat to US democracy today.

如果我們想應(yīng)對美國民主如今 所面臨的威脅的話, 這些討論方向就大錯特錯了。

【10】Because we have a much more fundamental challenge, and it's quickly growing.

因為我們面臨著更為根本的挑戰(zhàn) 而且它還在迅速生長蔓延。

【11】The United States election infrastructure is crumbling.

美國選舉的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施正在分崩離析。

【12】By infrastructure, I mean the technology, the physical infrastructure, like facilities, and most importantly, the human infrastructure, the people who manage the US voting process.

這里所說的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施, 我指的是如科技, 實體的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施像選舉場地, 以及最重要的人力基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施, 也就是管理美國選舉流程的人。

【13】Election infrastructure is so essential that it's been designated critical infrastructure by the US Department of Homeland Security.

選舉的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施非常關(guān)鍵 以至于美國國土安全部將其 認(rèn)定為關(guān)鍵基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施。

【14】That puts it on par with systems like our power grid and water supply in the eyes of the federal government.

也就是說在聯(lián)邦政府看來, 選舉基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施和國家電網(wǎng)、 供水系統(tǒng)一樣重要。

【15】But they haven't invested in it like it's critical.

但他們從未像關(guān)鍵基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施那樣 對其進(jìn)行過投入。

【16】The average portion of a county budget spent on election operations is about half of one percent.

各郡縣平均用于選舉活動的預(yù)算 大約只占整體預(yù)算的 0.5% 。

【17】To put that into context, we spend about the same amount to maintain parking facilities as we do our election system.

換句以更好理解的話說, 我們用于維護(hù)停車設(shè)施的花費(fèi) 和我們用于選舉系統(tǒng)的花費(fèi)差不多。

【18】If we zoom out a little bit, the US election system is actually pretty unique by global standards.

如果我們將視角范圍拉大一點(diǎn), 美國選舉系統(tǒng)按照國際標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來說 其實相當(dāng)獨(dú)特。

【19】Unlike some other places, we have no central election authority that's responsible for managing the logistics of voting for our entire country.

不像世界其他國家和地區(qū), 我們沒有負(fù)責(zé)管理整個國家 投票后勤工作的中央選舉機(jī)構(gòu)。

【20】Instead, we have thousands and thousands of local departments that each have some independent mix for figuring out how to make voting work where they live.

相反,我們有數(shù)以千計的地方機(jī)構(gòu), 它們對于當(dāng)?shù)赝镀惫ぷ鞯拈_展 有各自獨(dú)立的想法。

【21】These departments are staffed by professional election officials with support from volunteer poll workers during peak election season.

這些機(jī)構(gòu)由專業(yè)的選舉工作人員組成, 在選舉季最忙的時候 還有計票志愿者協(xié)助工作。

【22】So with no government-run how-to for how to administer elections, we end up seeing widely different voting experiences throughout the US, where voting can legitimately work one way in one community and look totally different somewhere else.

因此由于沒有政府介入 如何進(jìn)行選舉操作, 我們最終看到的就是全美上下 各不相同的投票操作, 選舉可能在某個社區(qū) 能夠合法有效地進(jìn)行, 但到了其他地方就完全不一樣了。

【23】For over a decade, my work has focused on providing technology and training and other resources to state and local election officials to support them in their work serving voters.

過去十多年來, 我的工作聚焦于向州及地方選舉官員 提供科技支持、培訓(xùn)以及其他資源 以便于他們更好地為選民服務(wù)。

【24】In my current role, that has looked like working with election departments in every corner of the country, that together serve about 75 percent of our eligible voters.

我現(xiàn)在的工作 看起來有點(diǎn)像在 和全國各地的選舉機(jī)構(gòu)打交道, 這些機(jī)構(gòu)的服務(wù)對象覆蓋了 全國約 75% 的符合條件的選民。

【25】This has given me a really unique window into what it actually takes these public servants on the front lines to do things like keep voter rolls up to date and quickly and accurately count ballots and inform their communities about how the process works.

而這也給予我獨(dú)一無二的途徑, 深入了解到底是什么 驅(qū)使了這些基層工作人員 讓選民們更新選民狀態(tài), 亦或是快速準(zhǔn)確地清點(diǎn)選票, 再或者向他們當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū) 宣傳普及選舉流程。

【26】This year-round work is hard.

這份貫穿全年的工作是艱難的。

【27】And it's often super thankless.

而且通常極其吃力不討好。

【28】And the last two years have been some of the worst.

過去的兩年 可以說是最糟糕的日子。

【29】Election officials who serve millions of voters currently lack the basic technology that they need to reliably do their work.

服務(wù)數(shù)百萬選民的選舉官員 現(xiàn)階段缺少完成其工作所需的 最基本的科技設(shè)備。

【30】It either doesn't exist, or it's shockingly outdated.

它們要么沒有, 要么就早已過時。

【31】In the year 2020, we supported a small New England town replace their hand crank ballot box that they had been using since the early 1900s to count ballots.

在 2020 年, 我們幫新英格蘭地區(qū)的一個小鎮(zhèn) 換掉了他們的手搖投票箱, 他們使用其計票 可以追溯到 20 世紀(jì)初期。

【32】One was literally held together by duct tape.

這個箱子甚至真就是用強(qiáng)力膠帶 粘在一起的。

【33】Even worse, the people that underpin our voting process, the election officials, are currently under attack.

更糟糕的是, 支撐我們選舉流程的選舉官員們, 如今還在飽受攻擊。

【34】In exchange for being outspoken about the integrity of the process that they managed in 2020, which, by the way, turned out to be our highest turnout election in the US in over a century

這些官員對其主導(dǎo)的 2020 大選 選舉流程完整性說得過于直白所換來的 這里插一句, 根據(jù)國家安全部門的說法,

【35】and the most secure election ever administered in our history, according to our national security community -

此次大選是美國一個多世紀(jì)以來 投票參與率最高的一次選舉, 也是我們有史以來 最可靠的一次選舉,

【36】In exchange for the grit and determination that it took to make that possible during a global pandemic, today, election officials are receiving death threats, their children are being bullied, and some have had to flee their homes.

這些選舉工作人員的勇氣和決心 讓這場大選 得以在新冠大流行中順利完成, 這些選舉官員如今所換來的 卻是面臨死亡威脅, 其子女也遭受霸凌, 其中有些人甚至被迫背井離鄉(xiāng)。

【37】A recent survey shows that one in three election officials, one in three, currently feel unsafe doing their work.

一項近期的調(diào)研顯示 每三個選舉官員之中就有一個, 強(qiáng)調(diào)一下是每三個中 就有一個人 會對當(dāng)前的這份工作感到不安。

【38】It's appalling.

這太可怕了。

【39】And enough is enough.

這一現(xiàn)狀該就此打住。

【40】We are at a tipping point for US democracy and frankly, democracy globally.

我們正處于美國民主的臨界點(diǎn) 或說得更直白一點(diǎn), 其也是全球民主的臨界點(diǎn)。

【41】I don't know about you, but I personally don't feel comfortable just standing around, leaving things to chance.

我不知道你們怎么覺得, 但我個人不喜歡 只是袖手旁觀 并聽天由命。

【42】And I especially don't feel comfortable standing by, asking election officials to keep figuring out how to make it work alone, while our system is getting pushed to its brink.

而且我尤其不喜歡作壁上觀 詢問那些選舉官員 當(dāng)我們的選舉系統(tǒng)被推向絕境時 該如何想辦法讓其獨(dú)立運(yùn)行。

【43】We need to rally around a set of shared values and standards, a North Star, so that every single voter, regardless of their zip code, has access to a process that's both fair and trustworthy.

我們需要圍繞一套如指北星的共同價值觀和標(biāo)準(zhǔn)團(tuán)結(jié)起來, 這樣每一位選民無論身處何處, 都能使用公平可靠的選舉流程。

【44】Election officials need a place where they can come together to keep their skills fresh so that they're ready to tackle whatever challenges might come, whether it's training to bolster cybersecurity or to combat disinformation or to help them keep voters safe during a pandemic.

選舉官員們需要能夠聚在一起以時刻保證自己掌握著最新的技能的場所, 這樣無論面對任何挑戰(zhàn)他們都能從容應(yīng)對, 不論是加強(qiáng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全的培訓(xùn), 還是打擊虛假信息, 亦或是幫助他們 協(xié)助選民在疫情期間安全投票。

【45】And every election department, rural, urban, large, small, needs access to 21st century secure technology so that every single community has access to the basics.

每個選舉部門, 無論是在農(nóng)村,城市 還是規(guī)模大小, 都需要得到 21 世紀(jì)的 安全可靠的科技輔助, 以致每個社區(qū) 都能實現(xiàn)最基礎(chǔ)的選舉條件。

【46】Like, a website where voters can find out answers about how voting works where they live.

譬如,為選民解答關(guān)于他們所在地區(qū) 選舉是如何操作的網(wǎng)站。

【47】Or data-driven tools that election officials can use to make sure that we don't have lines that snake around city blocks outside of polling places.

又或是供選舉官員們使用的 數(shù)據(jù)驅(qū)動分析工具 以避免投票站外的街區(qū) 出現(xiàn)選民大排長龍的情況。

【48】Last summer, I was at my first conference since the start of the pandemic, and I was going up the escalator and I locked eyes with this election official who I absolutely adore.

去年夏天, 我參加了自新冠開始至今的 第一場線下會議, 當(dāng)時我正乘自動扶梯上樓, 目光停留在了一個我非常喜歡的 選舉官員身上。

【49】Let's call her Sarah.

我們就叫她莎拉（Sarah）吧。

【50】I ran and I gave Sarah a huge hug, and I realized that probably 60 seconds passed before we let go.

我沖過去給了她一個大大的擁抱, 等我和她結(jié)束擁抱時我才意識到 已經(jīng)過去了差不多一分鐘。

【51】And when we did, I was crying and so was Sarah.

擁抱之后我和莎拉都在落淚。

【52】Sarah's life got flipped totally upside down after the 2020 election, when a vicious conspiracy theory about her office went viral.

莎拉的生活在 2020 大選之后 發(fā)生了翻天覆地的變化, 那時一條關(guān)于她的選舉場所的惡毒陰謀論 在短期內(nèi)大量傳播。

【53】Almost immediately, the death threats started to roll in, and they were unrelenting and they were very specific about the harm that they wished upon Sarah and her husband and their children.

幾乎同時, 各種死亡威脅也蜂擁而至, 威脅持續(xù)不斷,并且其明確具體表達(dá)了 對以及她的丈夫甚至是她的孩子 想要造成的傷害。

【54】And still, Sarah never backed down from telling the truth about the process that she led.

可盡管如此, 莎拉從不懼畏懼,敢于告訴大眾 她主導(dǎo)的這次大選的流程真相。

【55】In that moment, I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and love and admiration for Sarah that I couldn't help the tears.

在那一瞬間 我內(nèi)心充斥著的感激和愛 還有對莎拉的傾佩之情, 讓我一時不禁潸然淚下。

【56】But I think if I'm being super, super honest, I was just so happy that my friend was still here to hug.

但我覺得 如果讓我完全坦誠地說, 我的朋友能夠依舊活著讓我去擁抱, 就足以讓我高興之至了。

【57】Election officials deserve a warm, welcoming community where their hard work is celebrated and encouraged, not vilified.

選舉官員們值得我們用溫暖和歡迎相待, 他們的辛勤付出值得贊譽(yù)和鼓勵, 而不是誹謗。

【58】And all of this is exactly why I'm so excited that we are inviting every single election department in the United States to join the US Alliance for Election Excellence.

而這一切 也就是我為什么如此激動的原因, 我們誠邀全美每一個選舉部門 都加入美國卓越選舉聯(lián)盟。

【59】The Alliance is a place where election officials and technologists and designers and other experts are working hand in hand to revitalize US democracy.

這是一個選舉官員將和技術(shù)專家、 設(shè)計師以及其他專家共同展開合作 重振美國民主的聯(lián)盟。

【60】And we're doing it by focusing on the basics, a shared North Star, the tools that it actually takes to get the job done, and a community of support that has each other's back, whatever might come.

而實現(xiàn)這一點(diǎn), 我們需要聚焦各種基礎(chǔ)條件與準(zhǔn)則, 全員共享使得一切得以完成, 并且無論面對任何事情 我們還需要成員彼此間的互相幫助。

【61】It is absolutely crucial that we rebuild the foundation of US democracy, and that's exactly what we're going to do.

重建美國民主的基礎(chǔ)至關(guān)重要, 而這也正是我們正準(zhǔn)備做的事情。

【62】The Alliance is not only ready to meet this moment, we're ready to create a foundation so strong, that we can make it another 200 years. Together.

這一聯(lián)盟不僅是為重建民主, 我們已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好 打下一個更加穩(wěn)固的基礎(chǔ), 彼此攜手能夠讓其再續(xù) 200 年。

【63】Thank you.

謝謝大家。