编辑部下周中期选举最重要的结果，未必在于民主党还是共和党胜出，而在于两党是否都接受选举结果。
By The Editors The most important outcome in next week’s midterm elections may not be whether Democrats or Republicans come out on top. It may be whether both parties accept the results.
根据最新民调，民主党有望在国会增加席位，并可能赢得参众两院其中一院甚至两院的控制权。遗憾的是，当被问及是否会遵守选举结果时，总统仅表示：“如果结果诚实，我会遵守”，留给选民去揣测他对“诚实”的定义。政府似乎也在为在数个州争议结果铺路。
Judging by the most recent polls, Democrats are likely to make gains in Congress and may win control of one or both houses. Unfortunately, when asked whether he’ll abide by the results, the president has only said, “I will if they’re honest,” leaving voters to ponder his definition of “honest.”The administration also seems to be laying the groundwork for disputing results in several states.
担心接下来会发生什么，并非杞人忧天。2020年，关于选民欺诈和行政操纵的虚假指控被用来为窃取大选的企图提供理由，最终导致1月6日国会大厦发生致命暴力冲突。
One needn’t be paranoid to worry about what comes next. In 2020, fake claims about voter fraud and administrative manipulation were used to justify attempts to steal the election, which led to deadly mob violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
那次经历的显而易见的教训——编造选举谎言和否认选举结果会导致灾难——似乎被一些国会共和党人抛诸脑后，他们继续容忍白宫干预州选举管理、动摇选民信任的做法。
The obvious lesson from that experience — election fabrications and denialism can lead to disaster — seems to have escaped some congressional Republicans, who continue to tolerate the White House’s efforts to meddle in state election administration and undermine voters’ trust.
值得庆幸的是，大多数州官员拒绝配合。一位官员对共和党全国委员会试图更改其所在州投票程序表示“有重大担忧”。另一位严厉抨击司法部的行为“咄咄逼人、出乎意料、具有破坏性”，此前司法部派遣选举监督员前往投票站，（据称）并试图接触投票机。第三位称政府的行动是“博弈手段”，让他“夜不能寐”。而这些仅仅是共和党人而已。
Thankfully, most state officials have refused to go along. One expressed “major concerns” with the Republican National Committee’s attempts to alter her state’s ballot procedures. Another blasted the Department of Justice for “aggressive, unexpected, disruptive” conduct after it sent election monitors to polling sites and (allegedly) attempted to access voting machines. A third called the administration’s actions “gamesmanship” that “keeps me up at night.”And those were just the Republicans.
到目前为止，法院也是遏制选举诡计的有效制衡力量，一再拒绝行政当局干预各州程序的企图，其中包括一项错综复杂且不切实际的行政命令——该命令本会赋予美国邮政署更大的作用，来核实是否符合新的邮寄选票要求。人们希望，行政当局的最新计谋——要求法院在共和党人没有获胜的情况下阻止阿拉斯加州参议院选举结果的认证——也将被驳回。
The courts, too, have thus far been effective checks against election chicanery, repeatedly rejecting the administration’s attempts to interfere with state procedures, including a convoluted and impractical executive order that would’ve given the US Postal Service a broader role verifying compliance with new ballot-mail requirements. One hopes the administration’s latest gambit — asking the courts to block certification of Alaska’s Senate results if the Republican doesn’t win — will be rejected, too.
然而，正如2021年所证明的那样，在造成严重损害之前，法院能够化解的危险是有限的。正如近六年前时任副总统迈克·彭斯所做的那样，民选官员在维护选举诚信方面也有着至关重要的作用。
Yet, as 2021 proved, the courts can only head off so much danger before serious damage is done. Elected officials have their own crucial role to play in upholding election integrity, as Vice President Mike Pence did nearly six years ago.
当然，选举一直都伴随着争议。激烈的竞选有时会引发法律诉讼，这是一种常见且可接受的做法，也是每个候选人的权利。但最终，胜者、败者和公众几乎总是接受选举结果。这种常态越早回归越好。
Elections have always been disputed, of course. Tight races occasionally bring legal challenges, a common and acceptable practice that is every candidate’s right. But in the end, winners, losers and the public have nearly always accepted the results. The sooner that normalcy returns, the better.
权力和平移交是民主社会的必备条件。正如另一位共和党总统曾经指出的那样，它是成就美国的“奇迹”。它应当像母爱和苹果派一样，受到全世界的广泛庆祝和捍卫。在选举日，选民将履行他们的职责。接下来，就要轮到选举管理官员和国会议员来履行他们的职责了。
The peaceful transfer of power is the sine qua non of democratic societies. It is the “miracle” that has made America possible, as another Republican president once noted. And it should be as universally celebrated and defended as motherhood and apple pie. On Election Day, voters will do their duty. Then it will be up to election administrators and members of Congress to do theirs.