美国网友提议帮忙运送选票，UPS、FedEx：我们干不了

受新冠疫情保持社交距离、避免聚集等措施的影响，今年11月的美国总统大选预计将有一半选民选择邮寄选票。

然而随着选举的临近，邮寄选票是否可行成为了美国国内争论的一大焦点。

美国总统特朗普此前曾多次反对邮寄选票，称此举将助长“选举舞弊”。

“全民邮寄选票（不是缺席选票，缺席选票还不错），将使2020大选成为历史上最不准确和最具欺骗性的选举。这将使美国非常难堪。推迟大选直到人们能够恰当地、安心地、安全地投票？”

8月13日，特朗普表示反对为美国邮政处理邮寄选票提供资金支持。

Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday said he opposed providing funds for the struggling Postal Service for mail voting, which is expected to surge to 50 percent as the coronavirus pandemic rages ahead of the November 3 presidential election. 

CGTN评论漫画：特朗普为竞选连任，不惜瘫痪美国邮政

Trump's hit on the USPS is another bet on Election Day

美国前总统奥巴马在接受采访时批评特朗普这一做法是在“施压邮政部门，阻止选民投票。”

Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday criticized Trump for "trying to discourage people from voting" in the presidential election, as Trump attempts to "kneecap" the USPS. 

"What we've seen, in a way that is unique to modern political history, is a president who is explicit in trying to discourage people from voting," Obama said. "What we've never seen before is a president say, 'I'm going to try to actively kneecap the Postal Service to [discourage] voting and I will be explicit about the reason I'm doing it.'"

8月14日，美国邮政针对邮寄选票向46个州和哥伦比亚特区政府发出警示，称选民可能没有足够时间填完和寄回选票，可能对选举结果构成“重大风险”。

The USPS said on Friday it has written to 46 states and the District of Columbia warning there is a significant risk voters will not have enough time to complete and return their ballots.

面对邮寄选票的困境，不少美国网友提议私人快递公司为总统选举提供选票配送服务。

美国知名作家、电台主持人大卫·罗斯科普夫（David Rothkopf）在推特上呼吁联合包裹运送服务公司（UPS）和联邦快递公司（FedEx）参与运送选票。

“所以，UPS、FedEx，你们现在面临着巨大机遇。你们只要免费配送邮寄选票或是赞助邮费，并在选举日前准时送达。你们将会在一夜之间成为美国最受爱戴和尊重的组织。加油，这是该做的正确的事。”

In a viral Twitter on Thursday, author and radio host David Rothkopf said there was a "big opportunity" for UPS and FedEx to deliver ballots for free. "You'll overnight become the most beloved and respected organization in America," he wrote.

不过，UPS、FedEx却表示对于运送选票实在是“爱莫能助”。

UPS发表声明表示州选票必须盖有邮戳才能被认为是有效的，只有美国邮政有合法的邮戳资格，所以UPS、FedEx和其他私人机构在技术上不能参与运送选票。

FedEx回应称虽然公司可以收寄个人选票，但建议打算通过FedEx邮寄选票的客户仔细阅读其所在州关于缺席投票和投票截止日期的指导方针或相关选举文件。

United Parcel Service and FedEx on Friday shot down social media calls that they step in to deliver mail-in ballots from the U.S. Postal Service.

"State ballots must be postmarked to be considered valid, and only the USPS has lawful postmarking status. Therefore UPS, FedEx and other private parties cannot technically be involved in shipping ballots," UPS said in a statement.

"FedEx does accept individual ballots, and we advise that customers planning to return their ballots via FedEx should closely review their state's guidelines on absentee voting and deadlines for ballots or related election documents," FedEx said.

美国多条法律法规规定，在大多数情况下都禁止私人快递公司处理邮寄或缺席选票，只有少数“极其紧急的配送”或“选举日当日和前一天下午的配送”可以例外。

Various laws and regulations, for the most part, prohibit private delivery companies from handling mail-in and absentee ballots, according to the companies and experts. Exceptions include deliveries deemed "extremely urgent" by statute and deliveries on the day of and afternoon prior to election day.

此外，还有一些限制性因素也使得私人快递公司难以处理邮寄选票。比如，美国邮政每周有六天可提供服务，但私人快递公司只在送货或者预约取件的情况下上门服务。在美国农村地区，私人快递公司还没有实现全面覆盖。

There are other hurdles that those companies, already coping with a pandemic-related surge in e-commerce shipments, would have to overcome. For example, the USPS touches every U.S. mailbox six days a week. Private companies visit only when they have a delivery or a pre-arranged pickup, and they do not have blanket coverage in rural areas.

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