美国国家公共电台 NPR--An election denier in Colorado is running for secretary of state

An election denier in Colorado is running for secretary of state

Transcript¹

Tina Peters — a local Republican election clerk who has been indicted² on 10 charges of election tampering³ and misconduct — is running for Colorado's top election job in Tuesday's primary.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

One of the most watched races on primary day today isn't at the top of any state's ticket. It's Colorado's Republican contest for secretary of state. The question is whether a candidate who has become a champion of election fraud lies will have a shot at running the state's election system. We're joined now by Colorado Public Radio's Bente Birkeland, who has been following the race. The candidate that's getting a lot of national attention, Bente, is Tina Peters, the Mesa County's Republican election clerk. Tell us more about Tina Peters.

BENTE BIRKELAND, BYLINE⁴: She's definitely the most high profile and polarizing of the candidates because in part of her belief there's been major fraud in the state's elections. If she wins, Peters says, she would push for fundamental changes to how Coloradans vote, like getting rid of all mail ballots⁵. The other half of that story is that Peters has been indicted on 10 counts of election tampering and misconduct. In May of last year, Peters allegedly allowed an unauthorized person to access the county's voting machines and sit in during an annual security update. The hard drives and passwords ended up being posted online by election conspiracy⁶ theorists.

MART?NEZ: OK, so she's under investigation⁷ for crimes around elections and then running to oversee⁸ elections in the state. I know you've interviewed her. What does she have to say about that?

BIRKELAND: Well, Peters calls the indictments⁹ laughable. She has long maintained she didn't do anything wrong and instead has turned up evidence of fraud with the county's voting machines, evidence, I should say, experts dispute. State audits¹⁰ and hand counts have verified the accuracy of the 2020 election results. And other county clerks in Colorado have pushed back against false claims of widespread fraud.

TINA PETERS: I've lost a lot personally in this. I'm not going in for title or recognition or position. I'm going in to fix things. I'm going in to make it better, to bring Colorado back to the gold standard that they say it is, you know, and bring Colorado back to being - for the secretary of state not to be so partisan¹¹ and controversial.

BIRKELAND: But her candidacy is controversial. And a judge has barred Peters, who is still the Mesa County clerk, from overseeing elections in her county.

MART?NEZ: Have the other Republican candidates in the primary race bought into the lies there was massive election fraud in 2020?

BIRKELAND: There are two other candidates, political newcomer Mike O'Donnell. The other, Pam Anderson, has made the most - been vocal¹² about the issue. And she says she got into the race to counter people like Peters who push false election fraud claims. Anderson is a former county clerk, and she was the head of the state's Clerks Association. She supports Colorado's election system and doesn't believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

PAM ANDERSON: I have been very upfront about my belief in evidence-based elections and that I have seen no evidence. I've read all of the reports. I've been in many places around the country.

BIRKELAND: And largely, Colorado Republicans don't want to concentrate on the 2020 election. They want to make big gains by attacking Democrats¹³ on inflation and gas prices. Donald Trump¹⁴ lost Colorado by 13 points. So even if Peters has a chance of winning the primary tonight, a statewide win in November is probably a stretch.

MART?NEZ: That's Bente Birkeland from Colorado Public Radio. Thanks a lot.

BIRKELAND: Thanks.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

3 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

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

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 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

9 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

10 audits   

n.审计，查账( audit的名词复数 )v.审计，查账( audit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Requires that use of all bond funds is subject to independent audits. 需要使用的所有债券基金是受独立审计。 来自互联网
• Support the locations during customer-visits, audits and quality-improvement programs. 支持客户参观，稽核和提高品质等项目。 来自互联网

11 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

12 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

13 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》

14 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。