Why Don’t More People Vote?: Crash Course US Government #4 · CrashCourse
探讨美国低投票率现象，分析个人与制度因素。适合练习政治话题和批判性思维。
When it comes to total voter turnout, the last two presidential elections have had more individual people show up to vote than any US election ever.
就总选民投票率而言，最近两次总统选举的投票人数超过了美国历史上任何一次选举的投票人数总和。
In 2024 about 75 million people turned up to vote for Kamala Harris, and around 77 million for now-president Donald Trump.
2024年，约有7500万人投票支持卡玛拉·哈里斯，而支持现任总统唐纳德·特朗普的人数约为7700万人。
But nearly 90 million eligible voters, more than either of those numbers, made a different choice that day…
然而，那天有近9000万符合投票资格的选民做出了不同的选择——这个数字远远超过了上述两个数字中的任何一个。
by not voting at all.
通过完全不投票的方式来表达自己的立场。
So, what stopped them?
那么，是什么阻止了他们呢？
Well, that is the 90 million voter question.
嗯，这就是关于那9000万选民的问题。
Hi!
嗨！
I'm Kousha Navidar, this is Crash Course, and we’re answering Big Questions on U.S.
我是库莎·纳维达尔（Kousha Navidar），这是《速成课程》（Crash Course）节目。我们致力于探讨关于美国的重要问题。
Government.
政府。
[THEME MUSIC]
[主题音乐]
In any democracy, voting is the cornerstone of the whole system.
在任何民主国家中，投票都是整个民主制度的基石。
And it’s one of the most empowering actions everyday people can take to make our voices heard and help shape our political future…
这是普通人每天都可以采取的最具影响力的行动之一——通过这些行动，我们可以让自己的声音被听到，并帮助塑造我们的政治未来……
...theoretically.
……理论上来说是这样。
I mean, let’s be real.
我的意思是，咱们还是现实点吧。
When the political world seems out of control, and your vote is just one of literal millions, at times,
当政治世界似乎失控了，而你的选票在数以百万计的选票中只是微不足道的一个时，有时候……
the whole thing can start to feel a little pointless.
整个事情开始让人觉得有点毫无意义（或者说：整个过程变得毫无目标或方向）。
It’s like in Star Wars– Don’t groan at me, ok?
这就像在《星球大战》里的情节一样……别对我抱怨，好吗？
It’s like in Star Wars: there’s a whole galactic war going on…
这就像在《星球大战》里一样：整个银河系都处于战争状态之中……
and you’re just a single, kind-hearted droid.
你只不过是一个善良、单纯的小机器人罢了。
Beep boop.
哔哔啵啵。
So each of us is left with a choice – to vote or not to vote?
因此，我们每个人都面临着一个选择：是投票还是不投票？
That is the question.
问题就在这里。
And the answer says a lot about us …but maybe even more about the systems we’re all living in.
这个答案不仅反映了我们的许多特点，或许更深刻地揭示了我们所生活的各种社会系统的本质。
Now, let’s get one important thing out of the way: not everyone living in the US is allowed to vote in the first place.
现在，让我们先把一件重要的事情说清楚：并非所有居住在美国的人都有投票权。
Like, out of the approximately 340 million people living in the US in the 2020s,
比如说，在2020年代生活在美国的大约3.4亿人中……
broadly speaking, the only people who can vote in US federal elections are US citizens, so undocumented people,
一般来说，在美国联邦选举中只有美国公民才有投票权，因此无证移民是没有投票权的。
tourists, green card holders, and fancy foreign diplomats are all out of luck.
游客、持有绿卡的人以及那些身份显赫的外国外交官，全都运气不佳（即无法顺利进入该国）。
Voters also have to be at least 18 years old at the time of the election, so kids and younger teens can’t vote,
选民在选举时必须年满 18 岁，因此儿童和青少年无法投票。
no matter how badly they want to.
无论他们多么渴望（做某事），情况依然不会改变。
Quick story: I became a citizen when I was 16, right before the Kerry-Bush election.
简单来说：我在16岁时成为了美国公民，那正好是在克里与布什竞选总统之前的时候。
Look at that 2004 drip.
看看那个2004年的滴管装置吧。
During my naturalization ceremony, they kept telling me how great it was that I could finally go vote,
在我的入籍仪式上，他们一直对我说：我终于可以去投票了，这真是太棒了！
especially since it was a presidential election year.
尤其是这一年还是总统选举年。
But they must’ve been talking to, like everyone else in the room.
但他们肯定也是和房间里的其他人一样在交谈的。
Because I was 16, and I’d have to wait another four years to cast my vote for the president.
因为当时我只有16岁，还得再等四年才能投票选举总统。
Even if you are both a citizen and over 18, some states also prohibit people from voting if they have felony convictions,
即使你们都是该国的公民且年满18岁，某些州仍会禁止那些有重罪前科的人投票。
or certain cognitive disabilities.
或者某些认知障碍。
And folks who live in US territories, like Puerto Rico, aren’t allowed to vote in presidential elections, either (which is a whole other can of worms).
居住在美国领土（如波多黎各）的人也不被允许在总统选举中投票（这又是另一个复杂的问题）。
So from that 340 million people who live in the US, if you take out the kids, noncitizens,
在美国生活的3.4亿人中，如果去掉儿童和非公民的话……
and anyone else who’s DQed and you add in all the expats who are allowed to vote absentee,
以及所有被取消投票资格的人；再加上所有被允许通过缺席投票方式参与选举的外国人……