由于选举是由各个地方政府而不是单一的国家权威机构负责进行，因此，即使在同一个州，不同地区也有可能采用不同形式的选票和投票技术。今天，很少有美国选民需要在选票上勾划候选人名字，因为许多地方采用光扫描纸质选票，选民在选票上涂圆圈或连线。还有些地方则采用各种机械化的投票设备。

近年来，一些州采用了方便选民在大选之前拿到选票的程序。这一趋势始于有关缺席选票的规定，这样的选票原本是发给预计在选举日身在外地（或远离投票站）的选民。一些州和地方政府逐步放宽了这一规定，允许公民作为“永久缺席选民”登记，并定期把选票寄到他们家中。五个州--科罗拉多、夏威夷、俄勒冈，犹他和华盛顿州完全通过邮件进行选 举。缺席投票选民将选票填写后寄回。有些州现在允许公民在商场等公共场所使用投票机，在选举日之前三个星期就可以投票。公民按自己方便的时间前去投票。

你认为有可能用APP来投票吗？你又如何确保投票系统的安全呢？

要了解更多美国大选的信息，请访问美国大使馆2020选举信息页面：https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/zh/2020-elections-zh/

Voters line up at a polling station, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
2018年11月6日星期二，选民在纽约布鲁克林区的投票站排队。(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

#US-General Election# - How do people vote?

Since local authorities rather than a single national authority conduct elections, different localities—even in the same state—can have different types of ballots and voting technology. Today, very few U.S. voters mark paper ballots by putting an “X” next to a candidate’s name. That's because many localities use optical systems that mechanically scan paper ballots on which voters fill in circles or connect lines. Still others employ a wide variety of mechanized voting devices.

In recent years, several states have adopted procedures that make ballots available to voters before the election. This trend started with provisions for absentee ballots, issued to voters who anticipate being away from their home (and their voting place) on Election Day. Some states and local jurisdictions gradually liberalized this provision, allowing citizens to register as “permanent absentee voters” and routinely have a ballot mailed to their home. Five states—Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington —conduct their elections entirely by mail. Absentee voters generally return their completed ballots by mail.

Some states now allow citizens to vote up to three weeks before Election Day using voting machines in shopping malls and other public places. Citizens stop by at their convenience to cast their votes.

Do you think there will ever be a voting app? How would you keep the system secure?

To learn more about the U.S. election, please visit the 2020 election information page of the U.S. Embassy:

https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/zh/2020-elections-zh/

出处：美国驻华大使馆（微信公众号：USEmbassyChina）