Supreme Court Confirms State Power to Count Mail-In Ballots After Election Day
最高法院確認州政府有權在選舉日後計算郵寄選票
Introduction
The United States Supreme Court has issued a 5-4 ruling that supports state laws allowing the counting of mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive later.
美國最高法院以 5 比 4 的投票結果裁定，支持州法律允許計算在選舉日或之前寄出、但隨後才送達的郵寄選票。
Main Body
The case, Watson v. Republican National Committee, focused on how to interpret old federal laws about a national Election Day. The Republican National Committee and the Trump administration argued that these laws require a strict deadline for receiving ballots. They asserted that an election is only finished when all ballots are officially collected. This view was previously supported by a lower court, which claimed that federal law overrides state-level grace periods.
這起 Watson v. Republican National Committee 的案件，重點在於如何解釋關於國家選舉日的舊聯邦法律。共和黨全國委員會與川普政府主張，這些法律要求接收選票必須有嚴格的截止日期。他們認為，只有在所有選票正式收集完畢後，選舉才算結束。此前一名下級法院支持此觀點，聲稱聯邦法優先於州級別的寬限期。
However, the majority of the court, led by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, argued that federal law only sets the date when voters must make their choice, not the deadline for when the ballot must be received. Justice Barrett emphasized that because there is no federal receipt deadline, states have the power to decide their own procedures. Furthermore, the majority rejected the idea that modern voting should be limited by 19th-century rules.
然而，由大法官 Amy Coney Barrett 領導的多數派認為，聯邦法僅規定了選民必須做出選擇的日期，而非選票必須送達的截止日期。Barrett 大法官強調，由於聯邦法未設定接收截止日期，因此州政府有權決定自己的程序。此外，多數派亦拒絕將現代投票限制在 19 世紀的規則之內。
In contrast, Justice Samuel Alito disagreed, arguing that counting late ballots could lead to voter fraud and reduce public trust in the results. President Donald Trump also criticized the ruling and called for new laws to require photo ID and limit mail-in voting. This decision affects about 30 states, such as California and Mississippi. While some believe these grace periods prevent voters from losing their vote due to mail delays, others argue they make the counting process take too long.
相對地，大法官 Samuel Alito 並不認同，他認為計算遲到的選票可能會導致選民舞弊，並降低公眾對結果的信任。川普總統也批評該裁決，並呼籲制定新法律，要求出示相片身分證明文件並限制郵寄投票。此決定影響約 30 個州，例如加州與密西西比州。雖然有些人認為寬限期可防止選民因郵遞延遲而失去投票權，但也有人認為這會使計票過程耗時過長。
Conclusion
The ruling keeps the current system in place for many states, meaning the existing rules for receiving ballots will remain for the upcoming midterm elections.
該裁決讓許多州維持現有制度，意味著即將到來的中期選舉將繼續沿用現行的接收選票規則。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 Moving Beyond 'But' and 'And'
An A2 student says: "Some people like it, but other people don't."
A B2 student says: "While some believe these grace periods prevent voters from losing their vote, others argue they make the process take too long."
The 'Magic' of the Contrast Shift
In the text, we see a sophisticated way to balance two opposite ideas using "While... [comma] ...others...". This is a huge leap from A2 because it creates a complex sentence structure that shows you can weigh two different perspectives at once.
Breakdown of the Logic:
- The Setup:
While+ [Perspective A] - The Pivot:
,(The comma is the bridge!) - The Contrast: [Perspective B]
Let's apply this to the article's logic:
"While some believe these grace periods prevent voters from losing their vote... others argue they make the counting process take too long."
How to use this in your own speaking/writing:
Stop starting every sentence with "But." Instead, try this formula:
While [Idea 1], [Idea 2].
- A2 Level: "I like the city, but it is noisy."
- B2 Transition: "While I like the city, I find it too noisy."
🧩 The 'Power' Verb: Assert vs. Say
Look at the text: "They asserted that an election is only finished..."
At A2, you use "say" or "think" for everything. To reach B2, you need Stronger Reporting Verbs.
- Say: General information. "He said the law is old."
- Assert: Saying something with strong confidence and authority. "He asserted that the law is old."
Quick Upgrade List:
- Instead of Say Try Claim (when it might be untrue)
- Instead of Say Try Argue (when giving a reason/opinion)
- Instead of Say Try Emphasize (when something is very important)