VOA常速英语2008年-US Democrats Overseas Give Obama Another Victor

By Eve Troeh
Los Angeles
22 February 2008

Barack Obama garnered¹ his 11th consecutive² primary win this week, when Democrats³ Abroad announced from Geneva, Switzerland, that the Illinois senator had won the party's Global Primary. Obama got about 65 per cent of more than 20,000 votes submitted overseas. As Eve Troeh reports, Democrats in more than 160 countries cast ballots⁵ by mail, fax, in person and - for the first time - online.

About six million U.S. citizens live outside the United States, including students, business people and members of the military. Some say the Global Primary is a step toward better voting rights for them. But others see the event as more symbolic⁶ than practical.

On Super Tuesday, when voters in 22 states went to the polls, more than 1,500 Americans gathered in London's Grand Central Library to vote in the Democratic Global Primary. They split into two caucuses⁷: for Obama or for Clinton.

Democrats overseas had a choice this primary season: Vote, as usual, by paper absentee ballot⁴ from their home state. Or waive⁸ that right, and cast a vote by mail, online or in person in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary.

The group set up voting sites in more than 30 countries. The polls were open for one week, starting on February 5. Most were not typical polling stations - balloting⁹ was held in bars, private clubs, or coffee shops. In New Delhi, India, voters met at a restaurant called Ploof. They voted upstairs, and partied downstairs.

"There were 100 and something voters who brought their kids, their friends, their families. Because they wanted that sense of being together for a really important political moment," said Carolyn Sauvage-Mar, the chair of Democrats Abroad India. She says it was especially important for the fastest-growing democracy in the world to see that Americans take their right to vote seriously.

"There were many many first-time voters. A couple of 18 year-olds. There was a naturalized citizen from Ghana, and a naturalized citizen from the UK. There were of course many Indian-Americans. We had another younger person who actually flew to Delhi from Mumbai, a two hour flight, just to vote," he said.

Back in 2004, when she started Democrats Abroad India, she says it was chaotic¹⁰ to coordinate¹¹ absentee ballots all over the country. This year's option to vote online eliminated some of the challenges of the vast distances and erratic¹² mail service.

In Oslo, Norway, Fulbright scholar Elizabeth Wiley cast her ballot online. "I got an email with my ballot number and a personal identification number and directed me to the website...so I entered my name in full, my street and mailing address in Norway...," she said.

For her, the decision to vote in the Global Primary versus¹³ an absentee ballot was easy. Wiley's home state of Michigan was stripped of its delegates by the Democratic Party this year. Democrats Abroad gets just 11 of the 4,000-plus votes at the national convention. But that's more of a say than Wiley would have had if she voted at home. And, it was faster. "I was asked to give my PIN number, and then my ballot was submitted. Took less than a minute," she said.

The Global Primary has been touted¹⁴ in the news media and by the Democrats as progressive and inclusive. But Republicans Abroad has described it as more idealistic than realistic. Unlike Democrats Abroad, the Republican group isn't directly tied to the GOP, and doesn't get delegates at its convention. Members say this allows them to focus on making sure their constituents¹⁵ get their traditional absentee ballots… and mail them back.

American Enterprise Institute researcher John Fortier, who has studied absentee voting, says within the Democratic Party, the Global Primary was a good way to increase participation¹⁶ in choosing its presidential candidate. But when it comes to battling Republicans at the polls in November, overseas voters won't have the online, fax, or in person options. Only paper absentee ballots from a state are counted in federal elections. And Fortier says problems still plague those ballots.

"That system hasn't changed dramatically at all. We have problems with military ballots not having postmarks. And the difficulty of the voter overseas ensuring they get their ballots in time, ensuring that their ballots are back and counted in time. And here I think we are falling short," he said.

But Democrats Abroad Executive Director Lindsey Reynolds says the Global Primary does influence the November election. It sends the message that every vote is valuable.

"In a practical sense, it allows Americans in South Africa, the Congo, Afghanistan to vote in our primary and have a voice in our nomination¹⁷. And I think it has certainly made a symbolic gesture to them that we're out there trying to find them and make sure their voice counts," he said.

She says if overseas voters, of any political stripe, feel that someone is reaching out to them, and looking out for their rights, they're more likely to take the extra effort to vote this fall," she said.

1 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

2 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

7 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

8 waive   

vt.放弃，不坚持(规定、要求、权力等)

参考例句：

• I'll record to our habitat office waive our claim immediately.我立即写信给咱们的总公司提出放弃索赔。
• In view of the unusual circumstances,they agree to waive their requirement.鉴于特殊情况，他们同意放弃他们的要求。

9 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

10 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

11 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

12 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

13 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

14 touted   

v.兜售( tout的过去式和过去分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• She's being touted as the next leader of the party. 她被吹捧为该党的下一任领导人。
• People said that he touted for his mother and sister. 据说，他给母亲和姐姐拉生意。 来自辞典例句

15 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

17 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。