Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained - Christina Greer

Translator: tom carter Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Yi Li 校对人员: 易帆 余

Most people have heard of the Electoral College during presidential election years.

在总统大选期间， 很多人都听说过"选举人团"。

But what exactly is the Electoral College?

但是"选举人团"究竟是什么呢？

Simply said, it is a group of people appointed by each state

简单来说，就是由各州任命

who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

形式上选出正副总统的一个团体。

To understand how this process began and how it continues today,

为了解这个制度的来龙去脉，

we can look at the Constitution of the United States: article two, section one, clause two of the constitution.

我们不妨参考美国宪法的 第二章程，第一章节的第二条款。

上面明确指出各州有几名选举人。

It specifies how many electors each state is entitled to have.

Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election.

1964 年起，每届总统大选 都有 538 名选举人

How do they decide on the number 538?

538 名这个数字从何而来？

是这样的，选举人的人数 等于国会参、众议员总数。

Well, the number of electors is equal to the total voting membership of the United States Congress.

435 representatives, plus 100 senators, and 3 electors from the District of Columbia.

435 位众议员，加 100 位参议员， 以及 3 位来自哥伦比亚特区的选举人。

Essentially, the Democratic candidate and Republican candidate

基本上，不论是民主党或共和党候选人

are each trying to add up the electors in every state so that they surpass 270 electoral votes,

都想争取各州选票， 并努力使其超过270票，

or just over half the 538 votes, and win the presidency.

或是赢得 538 票中的过半票数 而赢得大选。

So how do states even get electoral votes?

那么各州是如何得到选举人票的呢？

Each state receives a particular number of electors based on population size.

依据人口数量， 每州会被分配一定数量的选举人.

The census is conducted every 10 years, so every time the census happens,

人口普查每十年进行一次，

因此之后各州的选举人票 可能有所增减。

states might gain or lose a few electoral votes.

Let's say you're a voter in California, a state with 55 electoral votes.

比如你是加州的选民， 而加州共有 55 张选举人票。

If your candidate wins in California, they get all 55 of the state's electoral votes.

如果你的候选人在加州胜选， 就会得到全部的 55 张选举人票。

If your candidate loses, they get none.

若你的候选人败选，就空手而回。

This is why many presidential candidates want to win states like Texas, Florida, and New York.

这就是为何许多竞选人想赢得德州， 弗罗里达州，纽约州的选票

If you currently add up the electoral votes of those three states,

如果把这三个州投票权票数加总，

you would have 96 electoral votes.

你会得到 96张选举人 票。

Even if a candidate won North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming,

即使参选人赢得了北卡科塔州，南卡克他州， 蒙大纳州，怀俄明州，

Vermont, New Hampshire. Connecticut and West Virginia,

佛蒙特州，新罕布什尔州， 康州，以及西弗吉尼亚州，

they would only gain 31 electoral votes total from those eight states.

这 8 个州总共也只有 31 张选举人票。

Here is where it can get a little tricky.

这使得情况可能变得有些微妙，

On a rare occasion, like in the year 2000,

2000 年出现了一个罕见的状况，

someone can win the popular vote but fail to gain 270 electoral votes.

有人赢得了半数以上的民众选票， 但却无法得到 270 张选举人票。

This means that the winner may have won and collected their electoral votes by small margins,

这意味着获胜者 可能以极小的票数差获胜，

winning just enough states with just enough electoral votes,

赢得的州，与选举人票的数量 刚好可以获胜。

but the losing candidate may have captured large voter margins in the remaining states.

但是落选人很可能在 剩余州比对方获得更多票数。

If this is the case, the very large margins secured by the losing candidate in the other states

在这种情况下，落选人 在各州获得的大量领先票数

would add up to over 50% of the ballots cast nationally.

会总计达到全国选民投票总数的一半。

Therefore, the losing candidate may have gained more than 50% of the ballots cast by voters,

因此， 落选人虽能赢得 过半的选民支持，

but failed to gain 270 of the electoral votes.

却无法得到 270 张选举人票。

Some critics of the electoral college argue the system gives an unfair advantage to states with large numbers of electoral votes.

有批评者认为，此制度不公平的 对有大量选举人票的各州给予优势。

Think of it this way.

可以这么想，

It is possible for a candidate to not get a single person's vote -- not one vote --

候选人有可能在39州和 哥伦比亚特区一票未得，

in 39 states, or the District of Columbia, yet be elected president by winning the popular vote in just 11 of these 12 states:

但只要在下面 12 个州中的 11 个州获胜， 即可从而当选总统：

California, New York, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio,

加州，纽约州，德州，佛州， 宾州，伊利诺伊州，俄州，

Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia or Virginia.

密西根州，新泽西州，北卡罗兰州， 乔治亚州，或弗吉尼亚州。

This is why both parties pay attention to these states.

这就是为何两党 如此注重这些州的选票。

However, others argue that the electoral college protects small states

然而，也有人认为选举人团制度 保护了较小的州；

such as Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire,

比如罗德岛州，佛蒙特州， 以及新罕布什尔州。

and even geographically large states with small populations

甚至包括一些地广人稀的州，

like Alaska, Wyoming and the Dakotas.

比如阿拉斯加州， 怀俄明州，和德科达州。

That's because a candidate can't completely ignore small states,

这表示候选人不能彻底放弃小州

because in a close election, every electoral vote counts.

在一场势均力敌的选举中， 每张选举人票都至为重要。

There are certain states that have a long history of voting for a particular party.

有些州一直以来都会将选票 投给固定的政党，

These are known as "safe states."

它们被称为“ 铁票州 “

For the past four election cycles -- in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 --

在过去的 1996，2000，2004 和 2008 年 这四个选举周期里，

Democrats could count on states like Oregon, Maryland, Michigan and Massachusetts,

民主党可依赖俄勒冈，马里兰， 密西根， 和马塞诸塞这几个州；

whereas the Republicans could count on states like Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas and Idaho.

而共和党，则依赖密西西比， 阿拉巴马， 堪萨斯与爱达华州。

States that are teetering between between parties are called "swing states."

摇摆于不同政党之间的州 叫作“ 摇摆州 ”。

In the past four election cycles, Ohio and Florida have been swing states,

在过去的四个选举周期里， 俄亥俄州与佛罗里达州处于摇摆状态。

twice providing electoral votes for a Democratic candidate,

它们两次投给民主党，

and twice providing electoral votes for a Republican candidate.

两次投给共和党。

Think about it. Do you live in a safe state?

想一想，你居住在铁票州吗？

If so, is it a Democratic or Republican safe state?

如果是的话，是支持共和党， 还是民主党？

Do you live in a swing state?

你居住在摇摆州吗？

Are your neighboring states swing or safe?

你的临近州是铁票州， 还是摇摆州？

Is the population in your state increasing or decreasing?

你居住的州的人口是增是减？

And do not forget, when you are watching the electoral returns on election night every four years

别忘了，当你看着四年一度的 总统大选晚上的开票转播，

and the big map of the United States is on the screen,

当美国宽广的地图 显示在屏幕上时，

know that the magic number is 270 and start adding.

记住 270 这个神奇的数字， 然后开始加加看吧。