VOA标准英语2008年-Experts Say Expected Surge in US Voters May Str

Voter turnout is expected to soar in the U.S. presidential election in November, following record participation¹ in several primaries earlier this year. Experts say the flood of new voters may strain polling stations, creating added pressure especially in states that are introducing new voting technology. VOA's Brian Wagner has this report from Miami.
　
Voting machines being inspected in Philadelphia (file photo)

Scores of new voters are expected to cast ballots³ in this year's presidential election, and some will be new U.S. citizens voting for the first time. Community groups and political party workers flocked to a recent inauguration⁴ ceremonies in Miami to register newly eligible⁵ voters. Republican and Democratic party leaders are eager to expand their party rolls ahead of what is expected to be a tight presidential election.

In Miami, the pace of voter registration⁶ is up over past years, and some groups say they have reached their registration goals well ahead of the November ballot².

Carlos Pereira of the Immigrant Orientation⁷ Center says the election is drawing keen interest from Hispanic voters.

Pereira says voter registration is the issue of the moment for Hispanics. He says there is long-running pressure to try to resolve key issues like immigration reform and to improve the economy.

Already, turnout in this year's presidential primary votes showed a big jump over previous ballots. Primary numbers doubled in Florida, as well as Iowa, Virginia, Arizona and other key states over 2004. The surge is likely to continue in the November general election.

Kevin Wagner, a political scientist at Florida Atlantic University, says election officials should be preparing for a big turnout. He says the added numbers may pose challenges for election officials preparing for early voting periods and the day of the election.

"We are likely to get some new voters here. Do they vote early? Do they know how to vote early? That may lead to issues with voting machines themselves because you are going to have a good number of voters unfamiliar⁸ with all the technologies," he said.

Election officials in Florida already are on the lookout⁹ for potential trouble caused by new voting technology. This year, Florida and several other states are replacing touch screen computer machines that were only introduced in recent years. A new state law requires voters to use paper ballots which are read by an optical scanner and stored in case of a recount.

Florida lawmakers decided¹⁰ to replace the touch screens after security experts warned that computer hackers¹¹ could penetrate¹² the machines and alter votes. Many touch screens had no paper trail of the votes cast - raising additional fears of potential tampering¹³.

Wagner says officials are hoping the new optical scan machines will diminish those fears. But that does not mean mistakes will not occur, such as penciling in the correct circle, or bubble, on the paper ballots. "But does that mean we will not have errors? Will people bubble [mark] the wrong areas? Will they not understand the bubbling? Sure and it is going to happen," he said.

Across the nation, the number of voters using paper ballots and an optical scanner is rising, up to 55 percent this year. At the same time, the use of touch screens is down, to about 33 percent of voters.

Kim Brace¹⁴ of Election Data Services tracks the voting systems used across the nation. He says the increase in paper ballots creates new pressure on election officials to make sure they have enough ballots to keep pace with the expected rise in voters. "It is an issue and it is a rather significant issue. What we are seeing is that the number of paper ballots needing to be printed is going to be double what it was in 2004," he said.

Ballot shortages caused serious delays in Ohio and other communities during the 2004 election, as well as during primaries earlier this year. Experts say ballot supply is especially critical when there is strong participation from non-traditional voting blocs¹⁵, such as Hispanics and other minorities.

In Florida, the first test of the optical scan technology comes in August, when Florida votes on local posts.

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 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》

4 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

5 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

6 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

7 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

8 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

9 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

12 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

13 tampering   

v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• Two policemen were accused of tampering with the evidence. 有两名警察被控篡改证据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• As Harry London had forecast, Brookside's D-day caught many meter-tampering offenders. 正如哈里·伦敦预见到的那样，布鲁克赛德的D日行动抓住了不少非法改装仪表的人。 来自辞典例句

14 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

15 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句