What's needed to bring the US voting system into the 21st century | Tiana Epps-Johnson

Prevodilac: Kristina Radosavljević Lektor: Ivana Krivokuća

OK, I want to take a moment to let each of you think to yourselves

Daću vam momenat da razmislite

about the last time you sent or received a fax.

kada ste poslednji put poslali ili primili faks.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Well, for me, it was this morning,

Ja sam ga, recimo, primila danas,

because one piece of my work

zato što je jedan deo mog posla

is making sure that everyone in the US has the information that they need

da se uverim da svi u Americi imaju potrebne informacije

to make decisions about the candidates on their ballot.

kako bi doneli odluku o kandidatu na svom glasačkom listiću.

And collecting that information

A prikupljanje informacija

from the local government offices responsible for maintaining it

od službenika lokalnih samouprava odgovornih za njihovo održavanje

means sending and receiving a lot of faxes.

podrazumeva slanje i primanje mnogo faksova.

Voting is one of our most fundamental rights.

Glasanje je jedno od naših osnovnih prava.

It's one of the most tangible ways

To je jedan od najopipljivijih načina

that each and every one of us can shape our communities.

na koji svako od nas može da oblikuje zajednicu.

And as we enter this fourth industrial revolution,

Ulazeći u ovu četvrtu industrijsku revoluciju,

where technology is changing everything around us,

gde tehnologija menja sve oko nas,

you would think, with something as important as the right to vote,

pomislili biste da za nešto što je tako važno kao što je pravo glasa

that we would have the most modern, secure,

moramo imati najmoderniji, najsigurniji,

inclusive system that could exist ...

najpristupačniji sistem koji postoji...

But we don't.

Ali nemamo ga.

When we look at comparable democracies,

Kada uporedimo ostale demokratske sisteme,

the US has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the world.

Amerika spada u zemlje sa najnižom izlaznošću birača na svetu.

We have a system where even the most persistent voters

Mi imamo sistem u kome se čak i najuporniji glasači

come up against exhausting barriers.

susreću sa iscrpljujućim preprekama.

A system where 20th-century technology --

Sistem u kome tehnologija 20. veka -

like fax machines --

kao što su faks-mašine -

and outdated practices stand in the way of full, vibrant participation.

i zastarela praksa stoje na putu potpune i žive uključenosti.

In US presidential elections, turnout hovers around 60 percent.

Na američkim predsedničkim izborima izlaznost je oko 60 procenata.

The numbers are even lower for local elections.

Procenti su još niži kada je reč o lokalnim izborima.

That means that nearly 40 percent of Americans aren't voters.

Što znači da skoro 40 procenata Amerikanaca nisu glasači.

That's nearly 100 million people.

To je skoro 100 miliona ljudi.

I believe in something very straightforward:

Ja verujem u nešto veoma jasno:

that everyone should have the information that they need to become a voter,

da svi treba da raspolažu informacijama koje su im potrebne da bi postali glasači,

that the voting process should be seamless and secure

da proces glasanja treba da bude lak i siguran,

and that every voter should have information they trust

i da svaki glasač treba da ima informacije u koje ima poverenje

to make decisions about the candidates on their ballot.

da bi doneo odluku o kandidatima na svom glasačkom listiću.

Because when more people vote,

Zato što, kada glasa više ljudi,

together, we make better decisions for our communities.

zajednički donosimo bolje odluke za svoje zajednice.

So I've spent the last eight years on a mission

Ja sam na misiji poslednjih osam godina

to push our democracy into the 21st century.

da poguram našu demokratiju u 21. vek.

Now, one of the most common approaches to election modernization

Jedan od najprihvaćenijih pristupa modernizaciji izbora

is advocating for policy change,

je borba za promenu zakona,

and that's an incredibly important piece of the strategy

što je veoma važan deo strategije

for building a system where millions of more people become voters.

za pravljenje sistema u kome će još milioni ljudi postati glasači.

But I've taken a different approach.

Ali ja sam primenila drugi pristup.

I focused on a critical yet largely untapped resource

Ja sam se fokusirala na ključan, a opet većinom neiskorišćen izvor

for election modernization:

za modernizaciju glasanja:

local election officials.

lokalne službenike za izbore.

I work with thousands of local election officials across the country

Radila sam sa hiljadama lokalnih službenika za izbore širom zemlje

to build tools and skills that they can use immediately

da bih formirala alate i veštine koje mogu odmah koristiti

to transform the way that they're engaging today's voters.

kako bi promenili način na koji danas angažuju glasače.

Folks like Kat and Marie.

Ljudi kao što su Ket i Mari.

Kat and Marie have worked together for years in a windowless office

Ket i Mari su zajedno radile godinama u kancelariji bez prozora

in the basement of the Mercer County Courthouse in West Virginia.

u podrumu opštinske zgrade okruga Merser u Zapadnoj Virdžiniji.

Together, they have a tremendous responsibility.

Zajednički su imale ogromnu odgovornost.

They're local election officials serving Mercer County's 40,000 registered voters.

One su lokalni službenici za izbore okruga Merser

zadužene za preko 40 000 birača.

Local election officials are the public servants

Lokalni službenici za izbore su u javnoj službi i svakodnevno rade

that do the day-to-day work that makes our election system function.

kako bi naš izborni sistem funkcionisao.

When you fill out a voter-registration form,

Kada popunite formular za registraciju birača,

they're the folks that process them and add you to the rolls.

oni su ti ljudi koji dalje rade na tome i ubacuju vas u birački spisak.

They're the folks who buy the technology that we use to cast and count ballots.

Oni su ti koji kupuju tehnologiju

koju koristimo za brojanje glasačkih listića.

They recruit and train the volunteers at your local polling place.

Oni regrutuju i obučavaju volontere na vašem biračkom mestu.

And they're the official nonpartisan source

Oni su zvanični nestranački izvor

for informing people in their communities about how to vote.

za informisanje ljudi u svojim zajednicama o tome kako da glasaju.

And unlike other countries

Za razliku od drugih zemalja

where there's some form of centralized election authority,

gde postoji neka vrsta centralizovanog izbornog tela,

in the US,

u Americi

there are 7,897 different county and municipal offices,

postoji 7 897 različitih okružnih i opštinskih službenika,

like Kat and Marie's,

kao što su Ket i Mari,

that each have an independent role in administering elections.

od kojih svako ima nezavisnu ulogu u izbornom procesu.

Yes, that's nearly 8,000 slightly different ways

Što znači da postoji skoro 8 000 pomalo različitih pravila

that you might experience voting based on where you happen to live.

koje možete da iskusite prilikom glasanja u zavisnosti od toga gde živite.

When I was talking with Kat and Marie,

Kada sam pričala sa Ket i Mari,

like so many election officials that I talk with in rural towns

kao i mnogi lokalni službenici za izbore sa kojima sam pričala u manjim,

and in major cities alike,

ali i u velikim gradovima,

they were deeply proud of getting to help people in their communities,

bile su veoma ponosne na to što pomažu ljudima iz svojih zajednica,

but they were also worried.

ali su takođe bile i zabrinute.

All of the new tools that people were using to get information --

Sa svim tim novi alatima koje su ljudi koristili za dobijanje informacija -

the internet, social media --

internet, društvene mreže -

they were difficult to figure out how to use effectively.

imale su problem da shvate kako da ih efikasno koriste.

And they felt like they weren't fully meeting the needs of Mercer County voters.

Imale su utisak kao da ne izlaze sasvim u susret potrebama glasača okruga Merser.

One thing that they really wished that they had was a website

Jedna stvar koju su stvarno želele da imaju je veb-sajt

so they could create a hub

na kome bi mogle da kreiraju centar informacija

with information about how to register in upcoming elections,

o tome kako se registrovati za nastupajuće izbore,

and a place to put election results.

i na kome bi se objavljivali rezultati izbora.

See, at the time, when voters had questions,

U to vreme, kada bi glasač imao neka pitanja,

they had to either call or visit their office,

morao bi ili da ih nazove ili da poseti njihovu kancelariju,

which meant that Kat and Marie were inevitably answering

što je značilo da su Ket i Mari neizbežno odgovarale

the same questions over and over again,

na ista pitanja iznova i iznova,

which is both a superinefficient use of their time,

što je ne samo veoma neefikasno korišćenje njihovog vremena,

but also created totally unnecessary barriers for voters

nego je i stvaralo potpuno nepotrebnu prepreku za glasače

when that information could just live online.

kada su informacije mogle postojati na internetu.

And Mercer County wasn't alone.

Okrug Merser nije bio jedini.

At the time, they were one of 966 counties in the US

U to vreme, oni su bili jedan od 966 američka okruga

that had no voting information online.

koji nisu imali na internetu informacije o glasanju.

I'll let that sink in.

Pustiću da vam slegne utisak.

They were one of the nearly one-third of counties in the US

Oni su bili jedan od skoro trećine okruga u Americi

that had no place online

bez internet stranice

to find official information about how to vote.

na kojoj bi mogle da se nađu informacije o glasanju.

To Kat and Marie, not having and election website was unacceptable,

Za Ket i Mari ovo je bilo neprihvatljivo,

but they didn't have very many options.

ali nisu imale baš neki izbor.

They didn't have the budget to hire a web developer,

Nisu imale predviđena sredstva za angažovanje veb programera,

they didn't have the expertise to build a site themselves,

nisu imale iskustva da same naprave sajt,

so they went without.

pa su ostale bez njega.

And 40,000 voters in Mercer County went without.

I 40 000 glasača okruga Merser je ostalo bez njega.

We're in a moment where we have an unprecedented opportunity

Mi smo u momentu kada imamo neverovatnu mogućnost

to transform civic engagement.

da promenimo građansko učešće.

Technology is revolutionizing science and industry.

Tehnologija drastično menja nauku i industriju.

It's already transformed how we connect with one another

Već je promenila način na koji se povezujemo

and understand the world around us,

i razumevamo svet oko nas,

but our democratic institutions --

ali naše demokratske ustanove -

they're being left behind.

one su zaostale.

The US is one of the few major democracies in the world

Amerika je jedna od nekoliko najvećih demokratskih država na svetu

that puts the onus of voter registration on the individual voter,

koja stavlja teret registracije birača na samog birača,

rather than the government.

a ne na vladu.

The rules that govern how to vote vary from state to state,

Pravila glasanja variraju od države do države,

and sometimes even county to county.

a ponekad i od okruga do okruga.

And we have ballots that are pages and pages long.

Imamo glasačke listiće koji su dugački i po nekoliko strana.

This November, on my ballot,

Ovog novembra, na mom listiću

there are literally over 100 different people and referenda

je bilo bukvalno preko 100 različitih ljudi i pitanja

for me to make decisions about.

o kojima je trebalo da odlučim.

We have to be using the best tools we can bring to bear

Moramo koristiti najbolje alate koje možemo doneti

to help voters navigate this complexity,

kako bi pomogli glasačima da se izbore sa ovom složenošću,

and right now, we're not.

a to trenutno ne radimo.

One of the most common narratives I hear in my work

Jedna od najčešćih priča koje slušam na poslu

is that people aren't civically engaged because they're apathetic --

je da ljudi nisu građanski uključeni zato što su apatični -

because they don't care.

zato što im je svejedno.

But as my brilliant friends at the Center for Civic Design say,

Ali kao što moji izuzetni prijatelji iz Centra za građansko modeliranje kažu -

if there is apathy,

ako postoji apatija,

it comes from the system,

ona dolazi iz sistema,

not the voter.

a ne od strane birača.

We can change the system right now

Možemo odmah promeniti sistem

by connecting local election officials like Kat and Marie

povezivanjem lokalnih službenika za izbore kao što su Ket i Mari

with 21st-century tools

sa alatima 21. veka

and the training that they need to use them to better serve voters.

i obezbediti im potrebnu obuku da bi bolje služili biračima.

Tools and training to do things like use social media for voter engagement,

Alati i obuke da se npr. koriste društvene mreže za uključivanje birača,

or use data to staff and equip polling places

ili korišćenje podataka da bi se biračka mesta organizovala tako

so that we don't see hours-long lines at the polls,

da na biralištima ne gledamo dugačke redove u kojima se satima čeka,

or training on cybersecurity best practices

ili obuke za bezbednost elektronskih podataka

so that we can ensure that our voting systems are secure.

kako bismo se postarali da nam je glasački sistem siguran.

When we invest in this approach,

Kada uložimo u ovaj pristup,

we see meaningful, lasting results.

videćemo svrsishodne, dugoročne rezultate.

Kat and Marie are online now.

Ket i Mari su sada na internetu.

Inspired by their experience, we built a website template

Inspirisani njihovim iskustvom, napravili smo obrazac veb-sajta

using research-based best practices in civic design,

koristeći najbolje proučene primere građanskog modeliranja

and developed the training

i osmislili obuku

so that Kat and Marie are able to maintain their site themselves.

kako bi Ket i Mari mogle same da održavaju svoj sajt.

In less than a week,

Za manje od nedelju dana

they went from having never seen the back end of a website

su od nekog ko nikada nije video kako nastaje veb-sajt

to building a resource for Mercer County voters

došle do toga da prave bazu podataka za birače okruga Merser

that they have been independently keeping up to date since 2014.

koju samostalno redovno ažuriraju od 2014. godine.

Today, the 40,000 voters in Mercer County

Danas 40 000 birača okruga Merser

and over 100,000 voters in counties across the country

i još preko 100 000 birača u okruzima širom zemlje

have everything that they need to become a voter

imaju sve što im je potrebno da bi postali glasači,

directly from their local election official,

direktno od njihovih lokalnih službenika za izbore

on a mobile-friendly, easy-to-use, accessible website.

na jednostavnom veb-sajtu kome se može pristupiti preko telefona.

And we can even further scale the impact

Možemo čak videti i širi uticaj,

when local election officials are not only reaching out

kada lokalni službenici za izbore dopiru do birača

through their own channels,

ne samo kroz svoje kanale,

but they're extending their reach by working in partnership with others.

nego proširuju područje uticaja kroz partnerstvo sa drugima.

Efforts like the Ballot Information Project

Nastojanja kao što su Projekat informacija o glasačkom listiću

and the Voting Information Project work with election officials nationwide

i Projekat informacija o glasanju

predstavljaju saradnju službenika širom zemlje

to create a centralized, standard database of key voting information,

kako bi se stvorila centralizovana baza podataka o informacijama za glasanje,

like what's on your ballot and where to vote.

kao npr. šta se nalazi na listiću i gde glasati.

That information powers tools built by companies like Google and Facebook

Te informacije pomažu alatke kompanija kao što su Gugl ili Fejsbuk

to get information in the places where people already are,

da bi informacija bila na mestu gde se ljudi već nalaze,

like their newsfeed and search.

kao što je polje objava ili pretraživač.

In 2016, the Ballot Information Project

Projekat informacija o glasačkim listićima je 2016. godine

connected the public with information about candidates and referenda

povezao javnost sa informacijama o kandidatima i referendumima

over 200 millions times,

preko 200 miliona puta,

helping between a third and a half of every single person who cast a ballot.

pomažući između trećine i polovine pojedinačnih birača koji su glasali.

And that model has been replicated for elections around the world.

Taj model se primenjuje za glasanje širom sveta.

When we look at efforts in other areas of government,

Ako pogledamo napore koje vlada ulaže u drugim oblastima,

we can see the opportunity when we listen to the public's needs

možemo videti šansu ukoliko oslušnemo potrebe društva

and we meet them with modern tools.

i ponudimo im moderne alatke.

I think about my friends at mRelief,

Mislim na moje prijatelje iz kompanije „mRelief“

who have helped 260,000 families

koji su pomogli više od 260 000 porodica

unlock 42 million dollars in food benefits

da pristupe povlasticama za hranu vrednim 42 miliona dolara,

by helping government agencies transition away

kroz pomoć vladinim agencijama

from a 20-page, paper-based application for food stamps

da pređu sa prijave za bonove za hranu dugačke 20 strana

to a process that can happen in 10 questions over text message

do procesa od 10 pitanja putem poruke,

in fewer than three minutes.

što traje manje od tri minute.

That kind of transformation is possible in voting.

Takva vrsta promene je moguća i kod glasanja.

It's happening right now,

Ona se trenutno i dešava,

but there's still so much work to do.

ali ima još puno posla.

Now, if you have any technical bone in your body,

Ako išta znate o tehnologiji,

I know what you're thinking.

znam šta mislite.

This is all solvable.

Ovo se sve može rešiti.

The technology that we need exists.

Tehnologija koja nam je potrebna postoji.

We collectively have the expertise.

Mi kolektivno imamo iskustvo.

You might even be thinking about volunteering

Možda čak razmišljate i o volontiranju

at your local election office.

u svojoj lokalnoj kancelariji za izbore.

I love how solutions-oriented you are,

Dopada mi se vaš način razmišljanja, okrenut ka rešenjima,

but to be clear,

ali da razjasnimo,

the work that is needed to modernize our election system

da bi se modernizovao izborni sistem,

isn't something that's going to happen using 20 percent time,

ne može se koristiti 20 procenata vremena,

or through a hackathon,

niti dvodnevni seminari informatike,

or by doing a one-off technology project.

niti jednokratni tehnički projekti.

What we need is significant, sustained, long-term investment.

Ono što je nama potrebno je značajno, neprekidno i dugoročno ulaganje.

Investment in technology

Ulaganje u tehnologiju

and investment in the skills of local election officials

i ulaganje u veštine lokalnih službenika za izbore,

to run 21st-century elections,

da bismo imali izbore 21. veka.

because if we don't invest in the long game,

Ako ne ulažemo dugoročno,

we risk finding ourselves perpetually behind.

rizikujemo da neprestano zaostajemo.

So if you're ready to help millions,

Ako ste spremni da pomognete milionima,

if you're ready to close the gap between the system that we have

ako ste spremni da premostimo jaz između sistema koji imamo

and the system that we deserve,

i sistema koji zaslužujemo,

we need you.

mi vas trebamo.

Organizations that are doing this work year-round need you.

Organizacije koje se tokom cele godine bave ovim vas trebaju.

Local election offices need you.

Lokalni službenici za izbore vas trebaju.

Come join us.

Dođite i pridružite nam se.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)