美国国家公共电台 NPR--Requests for info on 2020's election hinders local officials ahead of midterms

Requests for info on 2020's election hinders local officials ahead of midterms

Transcript¹

The midterms are just weeks away, but for some the battle over the 2020 presidential race rages on. Conservative activists² are asking for 2020 voting documents from officials in Ohio and elsewhere.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

The 2022 midterm elections are eight weeks away, but for some, the battle over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election rages on. And that's creating a challenge for election boards. In Ohio and other battleground states, numerous people have filed identical public records requests, seeking massive amounts of information about the 2020 election. That's coming as officials try to prepare for the upcoming vote. Here's Karen Kasler from Ohio Public Radio.

KAREN KASLER, BYLINE³: Federal law says documents related to federal elections should be preserved for 22 months after the vote. So just as election boards were poised⁴ to get rid of their 2020 documents, requests for them started coming in. At the Warren County Board of Elections in southwest Ohio, Director Brian Sleeth got seven identical requests.

BRIAN SLEETH: We have about 180,000 ballots⁶ from the election that they're asking to view.

KASLER: The requests also ask for results tapes from voting machines, which can be 80 feet long, and copies of absentee ballot⁵ envelopes with voter identification on them.

SLEETH: So then we're stepping into redacting records.

KASLER: Sleeth says public records requests are not unusual. But copying all these documents could take days and might have to involve an outside vendor⁷, which could send costs for each request into the thousands of dollars. And for smaller Ohio counties, storing the 2020 documents is difficult. Former President Trump⁸ won Ohio by more than 475,000 votes. But boards of elections in all 88 counties have gotten these requests. And it's not just in Ohio. Hundreds of requests for thousands of public records from the 2020 election have flooded boards of elections in battleground states such as Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina. Election deniers and right-wing activists promote the practice.

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TOM ZAWISTOWSKI: It's an issue of you writing a letter to your Board of Elections and requesting it, OK?

KASLER: Longtime Trump supporter and Tea Party leader Tom Zawistowski hosts a podcast from northeast Ohio.

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ZAWISTOWSKI: So when I put this on our website, I'll link to the instructions on how to do that.

KASLER: In an email, Zawistowski says he and other activists are following the instructions of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Lindell is an ally of former President Trump, who's been leading efforts to ban voting machines he falsely claims contributed to massive fraud in the 2020 election, though there's never been evidence of that in audits⁹ or in court cases. Ned Foley is the director of election law at Ohio State University's law school. He says there could be a benefit, even if it's a strain for boards of elections to provide all this information.

NED FOLEY: And maybe giving access to it would ameliorate to some degree the concern about distrust.

KASLER: That won't happen, says Michael McDonald. He's the head of the United States Election Project, which tracks data and information about voting systems. McDonald says activists who believe the baseless stolen election claims are using a loophole in public records law to gum up elections. But McDonald says there is a solution.

MICHAEL MCDONALD: It's a very easy solution, but it's not going to happen, and that's for Donald Trump to admit that he lost the election fair and square.

KASLER: But for now, elections officials in Ohio and a handful of other states are working to fulfill¹⁰ requests for a huge load of 2020 election documents while they also prepare for this year's midterm contests. Early voting in Ohio is less than a month away.

For NPR News, I'm Karen Kasler in Columbus.

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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 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

5 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。

6 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》

7 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

8 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。

9 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

10 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。