The fight for the right to vote in the United States - Nicki Beaman Griffin

美國投票權發展史：自由之戰 - 尼奇‧葛里芬

譯者: Justin Lin 審譯者: Bighead Ge

When the next general election rolls around,

下次美國大選

who will be eligible to show up at the polls

哪些人依法得以投票

and vote for the President of the United States?

選出美國總統呢?

It's really pretty simple.

這個問題其實很簡單

If you are at least 18 years old,

只要年滿18歲

a citizen of the U.S.,

有美國公民身分

and a resident of a state,

目前在美國居住

you can vote,

就有投票權

assuming, that is, you are not a felon.

除非犯了重罪被褫奪公權

Seems about right.

差不多就是這樣

After all, the United States prides itself

美國最引以為傲的成就

on being a democracy,

就是民主政治

or a government in which the ultimate authority

政府把至高無上的權力

lies with the citizens of the nation.

交到老百姓手上

But it was not always this way.

以前卻不是這樣子

In 1789, George Washington won

西元1789年 華盛頓當選總統

the electoral college with 100% of the vote,

他獲得所有選舉人的選票

but whose vote was it?

那時候誰投了票？

Probably not yours.

大概不是你或我

Only 6% of the entire United States population

當時全國只有6%的人

was allowed to vote at all.

擁有投票權

Voting was a right

that only white, male property owners

有投票權的人

只限於有錢的白人男性

were allowed to exercise.

只有他們能投下神聖一票

By the 1820s and 1830s,

19世紀20與30年代

the American population was booming

美國人口大量增加

from the east coast into the western frontier.

並從東岸往西岸擴張

Frontier farmers were resilient,

開拓美西的農人 秉性堅強

self-reliant,

自食其力

and mostly ineligible to vote

但大部分不能投票

because they did not own land.

原因是名下沒有土地

As these new areas of the nation became states,

新開拓區成為州行政區後

they typically left out

基本上才廢除

the property requirement for voting.

投票權的財產限制

Leaders such as Andrew Jackson,

傑克森總統

the United State's first common man President,

是美國首位平民總統

promoted what he called universal suffrage.

他提倡普選權制度

Of course, by universal suffrage,

但傑克森的普選權概念

Jackson really meant universal white, male suffrage.

範圍還是白人男性

All he emphasized was getting rid

他的主要目標在於廢除

of the property requirement for voting,

選舉權的財產限制

not expanding the vote beyond white men.

並非讓非白人男性獲得選舉權

By the 1850s, about 55% of the adult population

到了19世紀50年代 55%的美國成年人

was eligible to vote in the U.S.,

擁有投票權

much better than 6%,

比以前的6%好上許多

but far from everybody.

但是離完全普及還差得遠

Then, in 1861,

1861年

the American Civil War began

南北戰爭開打

largely over the issue of slavery

內戰的導火線是黑奴問題

and states' rights in the United States.

及各州的職權問題

When it was all over,

戰爭結束後

the U.S. ratified the 15th Amendment,

美國通過憲法第15修正案

which promised that a person's right to vote

承諾投票的權利

could not be denied

不可侵犯

based on race,

無論種族

color,

膚色

or previous condition as a slave.

是否曾為奴隸 都享有投票權

This meant that black men,

意味著黑人男性

newly affirmed as citizens of the U.S.,

這群當時剛被承認的美國公民

would now be allowed to vote.

也獲得投票權了

Of course, laws are far from reality.

但法規與事實出入很大

Despite the promise of the 15th Amendment,

儘管有第15修正案的保障

intimidation kept African-Americans

許多非裔美人遭到恐嚇

from exercising their voting rights.

不敢行使投票權

States passed laws that limited

美國政府還通過法案

the rights of African-Americans to vote,

限制非裔美人的投票權

including things like literacy tests,

例如須通過識字程度測驗

which were rigged

該測驗經過調整

so that not even literate African-Americans

連有一定程度的非裔美人

were allowed to pass,

都考不過

and poll taxes.

還有要繳稅才能投票

So, despite the 15th Amendment,

因此 即使通過了第15修正案

by 1892, only about 6% of black men

1892年只有6%的黑人男性

in Mississippi were registered to vote.

密西西比居民有投票資格

By 1960, it was only 1%.

到了1960年 更只剩1%

And, of course, women were still totally out

女性則完全被排除在外

of the national voting picture.

無權投票

It wasn't until 1920

直到1920年

that the women's suffrage movement

女性發起運動爭取

won their 30-year battle,

經過多年奮鬥

and the 19th Amendment finally gave women the vote,

憲法第19修正案 才賦予女性投票權

well, white women.

但僅限白人女性

The restrictions on African-Americans,

非裔美人的投票限制

including African-American women,

不分男女

remained.

當時依然存在

After World War II,

二戰之後

many Americans began to question

美國人紛紛質疑

the state of U.S. democracy.

美國民主精神

How could a nation that fought

美國不惜動用武力

for freedom and human rights abroad

在海外伸張自由人權

come home and deny suffrage based on race?

在家裡卻讓種族和投票權掛勾

The modern civil rights movement

近代美國民權運動

began in the 1940s with those questions in mind.

始於20世紀40年代 即以投票權爭議為開端

After years of sacrifice,

多年來拋頭顱

bloodshed,

and pain,

灑熱血

歷盡波折

the United States passed

終於塵埃落定

the Voting Rights Act of 1965,

於1965年通過選舉權法

finally eliminating restrictions

廢除投票權限制

such as literacy tests

取消識字程度測驗

and protecting the voting rights

維護人民投票權

promised under the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

落實憲法第15修正案的保障

Now, any citizen over the age of 21 could vote.

公民年滿21歲就能投票

All seemed well

看來沒問題了

until the United States went to war.

美國參戰後 情況卻風雲變色

When the Vietnam War called up all men

越戰徵召男性入伍

age 18 and over for the draft,

年滿18歲就要服役

many wondered whether it was fair

引發外界質疑公平性

to send men who couldn't vote to war.

認為未滿 投票年齡的男性不該參戰

In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution

1971年 憲法第26修正案出爐

made all citizens 18 and older

規定公民年滿18歲

eligible to vote,

即具有投票資格

the last major expansion of voting rights

再度擴大了選舉權範圍

in the United States.

至此 美國未再出現相關改革

Today, the pool of eligible voters in the U.S.

現在 美國有投票權的公民

is far broader and more inclusive

比以前更多 也不再排擠特定族群

than ever before in U.S. history.

這個情形已是史無前例

But, of course, it's not perfect.

但是還有努力空間

There are still active efforts

仍然有人處心積慮

to suppress some groups from voting,

打壓某些族群投票的權利

and only about 60% of those who can vote do.

投票率更只有60%左右

Now that you know all the hard work

經過了這麼多波折

that went into securing the right to vote,

美國好不容易保障了投票權

what do you think?

接下來還要思考幾個問題

Do enough citizens have the right to vote now?

投票權真的完全普及了嗎?

And among those who can vote,

有些人有投票權

why don't more of them do it?

為什麼不投票呢?