Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in1 colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box2. What people put into the box on Election Day can change the course of history.
Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy3. The word democracy literally means “the people rule,” an important concept in America's history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in4 government.
An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives5 and one-third of the Senate6 seats are up for grabs7. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.
In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for “electors” who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators8 per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed9 cheating, giving bribes10 and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.
In Nov. 2004, Americans again elected those who represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote—and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls—most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package—the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely11 be “handled with care.”
惊奇常常藏在箱子里：彩色包装纸的生日礼物，朋友寄来的牛皮纸包裹……不论哪种箱子，人们都喜欢打开看看里面是什么。在美国以及其他许多国家，有一个特殊的箱子关系着未来：它被称为投票箱。人们在选举日投进箱子里的东西可以改变历史进程。
选举是民主的生命线。“民主”，顾名思义就是“人民自主”，是美国历史上的一个重要概念。18世纪中期，英国开始通过一些激怒美国殖民地人民的法律。殖民地居民税交得越来越多，享有的自由却越来越少。他们感到英国政府没有代表他们的权益。1776年7月4日，殖民地宣布脱离英国独立。他们想要建立民主政府，使人民在政府中有发言权。
有效的民主政府定期举行选举。在美国，每两年选举一次国会议员。在这些选举中，众议院的所有席位和1/3的参议院席位供人竞选。除此以外，每四年举行一次国家总统和副总统选举。选民还定期投票选出州长、市长及当地学校董事会成员。有时他们也要投票通过被提议的法律。
美国选举制度规定：选民并不直接投票给总统候选人。而是投票给支持各个候选人的“选举人”。每个州选举人人数与此州国会议员人数相同，就是每州两位参议员加上众议员人数（由该州人口数量决定）之和。一个州内，获得多数选举人票数的候选人就赢得本州所有选举人的票数。要赢得总统大选，候选人必须获得538个选举人中至少270票。
多年来，美国在选举方面做了许多改革。早期的改革严禁作弊、行贿和威胁选民，还限制候选人从捐赠者那里获得的金钱数量及花在竞选活动的费用。1870年，黑人获得选举权；1920年，选举权延伸至妇女。近数十年来，通过了反不公平选举法。人们不再支付特种税或通过测验才能得到选举权。1971年，选民投票年龄降至18岁。还有些改革使盲人、残障者及文盲行使选举权更为便利。在某些地区，选票票面除英文之外，还必须印有其他语言。
2004年11月，美国人再次选举在政府中代表他们利益的人。虽然有些美国公民连法定投票人也不是——还有些法定投票人懒得去投票——但大多数美国人都会行使他们的投票权。他们知道他们的未来就容纳在这个特殊的箱子里——投票箱。它实在是一个必须“慎重对待”的箱子。
1. wrap (up) in 包，裹
2． ballot box 投票箱
3． democracy n． 民主
4． have a voice 有发言权
5． House of Representatives 众议院
representative n． 代表
6． Senate n． 参议院（美口）
7． be up for grabs 供争夺的
8． senator n． 参议员
9． outlaw v． 宣布…为不合法
10． bribe [braib] n．／v． 贿赂
11． definitely adv． 明确地