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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

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

好，我想先用一點時間， 讓大家自己思考一下，

about the last time you sent or received a fax.

你上次發送或收到 傳真是什麼時候。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Well, for me, it was this morning,

我的話，是今天早上，

because one piece of my work

因為我工作的一部分，

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

就是要確保美國的每一個人 都得到他們需要的資訊，

to make decisions about the candidates on their ballot.

來決定要圈選 選票上的哪個候選人。

And collecting that information

要從當地負責維護那些資料的

from the local government offices responsible for maintaining it

政府辦公室收集那些資料，

means sending and receiving a lot of faxes.

就表示要發送和接收很多傳真。

Voting is one of our most fundamental rights.

投票是我們最基本的權利之一。

It's one of the most tangible ways

投票是一種很具體的方式，

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

可以讓每個人形塑我們的社區。

And as we enter this fourth industrial revolution,

隨著我們進入第四次工業革命，

where technology is changing everything around us,

科技在改變我們周遭的一切，

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

你們會想，投票權這麼重要，

that we would have the most modern, secure,

我們應該會有現存最現代化、

inclusive system that could exist ...

最安全、最廣泛的系統……

But we don't.

但並非如此。

When we look at comparable democracies,

如果我們拿其他民主國家來比較，

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

美國的投票者出席率 是世界最低的國家之一。

We have a system where even the most persistent voters

我們的系統會讓 即使是最持久的投票者

come up against exhausting barriers.

也會遭遇到讓人心力交瘁的障礙。

A system where 20th-century technology --

在這個系統中， 二十世紀的技術——

like fax machines --

比如傳真機——

and outdated practices stand in the way of full, vibrant participation.

以及過時的做法， 都阻礙了完整、有活力的參與。

In US presidential elections, turnout hovers around 60 percent.

美國總統大選的 出席率大約是六成。

The numbers are even lower for local elections.

地方選舉的數字更低。

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

那就表示，近四成的 美國人不投票。

That's nearly 100 million people.

那是近一億人。

I believe in something very straightforward:

我的信念非常直截了當：

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

人人都應該有成為 投票者所需要的資訊，

that the voting process should be seamless and secure

投票過程應該要無縫且安全，

and that every voter should have information they trust

且每位投票者都應有 他們可以相信的資訊，

to make decisions about the candidates on their ballot.

來決定要圈選 選票上的哪位候選人。

Because when more people vote,

因為，越多人投票，

together, we make better decisions for our communities.

我們就能一起為我們的社區 做出更好的決策。

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

我過去八年的時間 都投入在一個使命上，

to push our democracy into the 21st century.

就是將我們的民主 推向二十一世紀。

Now, one of the most common approaches to election modernization

要做選舉現代化， 最常見的方法之一，

is advocating for policy change,

就是提倡政策改變，

and that's an incredibly important piece of the strategy

那是策略中極重要的一部分，

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

目的是要建立一個系統， 讓投票人數再增加數百萬人。

But I've taken a different approach.

但我採用了一個不同的方法。

I focused on a critical yet largely untapped resource

我把焦點放在一項很重要

卻大部分尚未開發的 選舉現代化資源：

for election modernization:

local election officials.

地方選務人員。

I work with thousands of local election officials across the country

我和全國數千名 地方選務人員合作，

to build tools and skills that they can use immediately

建立工具和技能， 讓他們能馬上用來

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

轉變他們和現在 投票者的接觸方式。

Folks like Kat and Marie.

像凱特與茉莉。

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

凱特與茉莉一起在一間沒有 窗戶的辦公室中工作了數年，

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

西維吉尼亞默瑟郡 法院大樓的地下室。

Together, they have a tremendous responsibility.

他們兩人共同承擔極大的責任。

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

他們是地方的選務人員，服務 默瑟郡有登記的四萬名投票者。

Local election officials are the public servants

地方選務人員是人民公僕，

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

他們每天的工作， 讓我們的選舉系統能運作。

When you fill out a voter-registration form,

當你填好一張投票者登記表時，

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

他們負責處理登記表 並把你加入名單中。

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

他們也負責購買用來 投票和開票的技術。

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

你當地投票所的志工 是由他們招募和訓練的。

And they're the official nonpartisan source

他們是官方的無黨派來源，

for informing people in their communities about how to vote.

負責告知社區中的人要如何投票。

And unlike other countries

和其他國家不一樣，

where there's some form of centralized election authority,

其他國家有中央化 選舉機構的形式，

in the US,

在美國，

there are 7,897 different county and municipal offices,

有 7897 間

不同的郡辦公室和市辦公室，

like Kat and Marie's,

就像凱特和茉莉的，

that each have an independent role in administering elections.

每間辦公室在實施選舉時 都有獨立的角色。

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

是的，依你的居住地， 你可能在投票時，

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

會遇到近八千種稍微不同的方式。

When I was talking with Kat and Marie,

當我和凱特及茉莉談的時候，

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

就如同我在鄉村小鎮 談過的選務人員，

and in major cities alike,

以及大城市的選務人員，

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

對於能協助他們社區的人， 他們深感驕傲，

but they were also worried.

但他們也會擔心。

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

大家用來取得資訊的新工具——

the internet, social media --

網路、社交媒體——

they were difficult to figure out how to use effectively.

他們很難搞懂要如何有效地運用。

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

他們覺得自己沒有完全滿足 默瑟郡投票者的需求。

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

他們真的很希望能有一個網站，

so they could create a hub

讓他們創造一個中心， 提供資訊說明

with information about how to register in upcoming elections,

如何登記參加下次選舉， 也可以刊登選舉結果。

and a place to put election results.

See, at the time, when voters had questions,

在當時，當投票者有問題時，

they had to either call or visit their office,

他們得要打電話 或拜訪他們的辦公室，

which meant that Kat and Marie were inevitably answering

也就表示凱特和茉莉無可避免

要不斷地回覆同樣的問題，

the same questions over and over again,

which is both a superinefficient use of their time,

這樣的時間運用非常沒效率，

but also created totally unnecessary barriers for voters

也對投票者造成了不必要的阻礙，

when that information could just live online.

畢竟資訊明明就可以 放在網路上的。

And Mercer County wasn't alone.

默瑟郡並不是唯一。

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

在那時，美國有 966 個郡 都沒有將投票資訊放在網路上，

that had no voting information online.

他們的郡只是其中之一。

I'll let that sink in.

讓大家消化一下。

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

除了他們，美國有三分之一的郡

that had no place online

都沒有線上資源來提供 如何投票的官方資訊。

to find official information about how to vote.

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

對凱特和茉莉來說， 沒有選舉網站是不可接受的，

but they didn't have very many options.

但他們沒有很多選項。

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

他們沒有預算可以 僱用網站開發商，

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

他們自己沒有架站的專長，

so they went without.

所以他們就沒有用網站。

And 40,000 voters in Mercer County went without.

默瑟郡的四萬名投票者 就沒有用網站。

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

此刻，我們有個前所未有的機會，

to transform civic engagement.

可以轉變公民參與。

Technology is revolutionizing science and industry.

科技正在徹底改革科學和工業。

It's already transformed how we connect with one another

它已經轉變了我們連結彼此、

and understand the world around us,

了解周遭世界的方式，

but our democratic institutions --

但我們的民主制度——

they're being left behind.

它們被拋在後頭。

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

除了美國，世界上只有 少數幾個主要民主國家

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

把投票登記的職責 交付給個別投票者，

rather than the government.

而非政府。

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

每個州管理投票 方式的規則都不同，

and sometimes even county to county.

有時每個郡也不同。

And we have ballots that are pages and pages long.

我們的選票有好幾頁這麼長。

This November, on my ballot,

今年十一月，在我的選票上，

there are literally over 100 different people and referenda

有超過一百個不同的人以及公投

for me to make decisions about.

要我來做選擇。

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

我們必須要用我們 能取得的最佳工具，

to help voters navigate this complexity,

來協助投票者了解 這麼複雜的狀況，

and right now, we're not.

而現在，我們沒有這樣做。

One of the most common narratives I hear in my work

我在工作中最常聽到的一種說法，

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

就是大家之所以公民參與度不高， 是因為他們很冷淡——

because they don't care.

因為他們不在乎。

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

但，就如同我在公民設計中心的 一位聰明友人所言，

if there is apathy,

如果要說有冷淡，

it comes from the system,

那也是系統冷淡，

not the voter.

而不是投票者。

We can change the system right now

我們現在就可以改變這個系統，

by connecting local election officials like Kat and Marie

做法是把像凱特 和茉莉這樣的選務人員

with 21st-century tools

和二十一世紀的工具連結，

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

提供他們使用工具所需要的訓練， 讓他們為投票者做更好的服務。

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

他們需要的工具和訓練包括

用社交媒體來做投票者連結，

or use data to staff and equip polling places

或是使用資料來安排 投票場所的人員和設備，

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

才不會要排幾小時的隊才能投票，

or training on cybersecurity best practices

或是網路安全最佳做法的訓練，

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

讓我們能確保我們的 投票系統是安全的。

When we invest in this approach,

若我們投資這項方法，

we see meaningful, lasting results.

我們就會見到有意義、 持久的結果。

Kat and Marie are online now.

凱特和茉莉現在都上線了。

Inspired by their experience, we built a website template

受到他們的經驗鼓舞， 我們建立了一個網站樣版，

using research-based best practices in civic design,

用的是以研究為基礎的 公民設計最佳做法，

and developed the training

我們也開發了訓練，

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

讓凱特和茉莉能夠自己維護網站。

In less than a week,

不到一週，

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

他們從未曾見過網站的後台，

to building a resource for Mercer County voters

變成能夠為默瑟郡的 投票者建立資源，

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

他們從 2014 年起至今 就完全獨立在做網站更新。

Today, the 40,000 voters in Mercer County

現今，默瑟郡的四萬名投票者，

and over 100,000 voters in counties across the country

以及全國各郡十萬名投票者，

have everything that they need to become a voter

都能擁有身為投票者需要的一切，

directly from their local election official,

直接來自於他們當地的選務人員，

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

透過一個行動友善、 容易操作的可使用的網站來取得。

And we can even further scale the impact

我們還能把影響力的規模再擴大，

when local election officials are not only reaching out

如果地方的選務人員不只 透過自己的管道向外提供服務，

through their own channels,

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

還能和他人合作， 把影響範圍延伸更大。

Efforts like the Ballot Information Project

比如「選票資訊計畫」

and the Voting Information Project work with election officials nationwide

以及「投票資訊計畫」 都是和全國選務人員合作，

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

創造出一個中央化的標準資料庫， 存放重要的投票資訊，

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

比如選票上會有什麼， 及去哪裡投票。

That information powers tools built by companies like Google and Facebook

那些資訊能提供動力給 Google 和臉書這類公司所建造的工具，

to get information in the places where people already are,

把資訊送到大家的所在，

like their newsfeed and search.

比如新聞饋送和搜尋。

In 2016, the Ballot Information Project

2016 年，選票資訊計畫

connected the public with information about candidates and referenda

協助大眾連結關於候選人 和公投的資訊，

over 200 millions times,

連結次數超過兩億次，

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

三分之一到半數的投票人受益。

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

那個模型已經被 全世界的選舉給複製。

When we look at efforts in other areas of government,

當我們考慮政府其他 領域中的嘗試和努力，

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

我們能夠看到機會， 只要我們能傾聽大眾的需求，

and we meet them with modern tools.

並用現代工具來滿足它們。

I think about my friends at mRelief,

我會想我在 mRelief 的朋友，

who have helped 260,000 families

他們協助了二十六萬個家庭，

unlock 42 million dollars in food benefits

在糧食券省下了四千兩百萬美元，

by helping government agencies transition away

做法是協助政府機關做轉換，

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

申請食物券不要再用 二十頁的紙本資料，

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

改成新的流程，只要用 文字訊息傳送十個問題，

in fewer than three minutes.

不用三分鐘就可以完成。

That kind of transformation is possible in voting.

那樣的轉變，在投票也是可能的。

It's happening right now,

它正在發生，

but there's still so much work to do.

但還有很多要做的。

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

如果你有一點技術頭腦，

I know what you're thinking.

我知道你在想什麼。 這都是可以解決的。

This is all solvable.

The technology that we need exists.

我們需要的技術是存在的。

We collectively have the expertise.

我們結合起來，就有專門技術。

You might even be thinking about volunteering

你可能還在想著要去 你當地的選舉辦公室當志工。

at your local election office.

I love how solutions-oriented you are,

很高興你是如此解決方案導向，

but to be clear,

但，要說清楚，

the work that is needed to modernize our election system

要讓我們的選舉系統現代化 所需要做的工作

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

並不是只花 20% 的 時間就能完成的，

or through a hackathon,

也不是透過駭客馬拉松 或一次性的技術專案計畫就能完成。

or by doing a one-off technology project.

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

我們需要巨大、

持久、長期的投資。

Investment in technology

投資在技術上，

and investment in the skills of local election officials

投資在地方選務人員的技能上，

to run 21st-century elections,

來進行二十一世紀的選舉，

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

因為如果我們不做長期投資，

we risk finding ourselves perpetually behind.

我們就有總是發現自己 永遠落後的風險。

So if you're ready to help millions,

如果你準備好要協助數百萬人，

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

如果你準備好要消除 我們現有的系統

and the system that we deserve,

和我們應得的系統之間的落差，

we need you.

那我們需要你。

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

一年到頭都在做這項 工作的組織需要你。

Local election offices need you.

地方選舉辦公室需要你。

Come join us.

來加入我們。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）