新生政治团体“美国人的选择”已经悄然开始行动，为2012年美国大选的全国投票征集选民签名。不过他们却并不打算推出自己的候选人，也没有自己的政治纲领或者政治思想。
The new political group "Americans Elect" has quietly been collecting signatures needed for to get on statewide ballots in the 2012 general elections. But the group doesn't plan to run a candidate, and it doesn't have a platform or an ideology.
该政团的首席运营官艾略特•奥科曼说，“我们不是第三党，而是另一种运作方式。”
"This isn't a third party," Elliot Ackerman, the group's chief operating officer said. "It's a second process."
“美国人的选择”支持的是一种全新的政治程序，其运行过程是：在2012年6月召开为期两周的网络大会，邀请所有登记注册的选民参与讨论。选民们填写调查问卷之后，就可以看到一张和他们持有相同政见的候选人名单。
an entirely new political process, and here's how the whole thing goes: All registered voters are invited to participate in a two-week online convention in June 2012. Voters will fill out questionnaires and will be able to see a list of candidates who share their policy positions.
一切都是通过网络进行的：网上起草政党纲领，将候选人的范围压缩在六个以内，然后六个候选人各自挑选一个来自不同政党的人作为竞选伙伴。
All online, a party platform will be drafted, and the field of candidates will be narrowed down to six. Each of those six will choose a running mate — from a different party.
最后，所有在此网站注册的选民进行投票，而团体募集的签名将保证候选人获得候选资格。
Finally, voters registered at AmericansElect.org will choose one of the tickets, and those candidates will take over the ballot line secured with signatures by the group.
听起来很复杂？好像是那么回事。不过，“美国人的选择”相信美国人会支持他们。最近的民意调查发现，美国选民对共和党和民主党都大失所望。大多数独立党人(68%)都支持建立一个第三政党。
Sound complicated? It seems that way. But Americans Elect believes Americans will support it. Recent polls find US voters are disenchanted with both Democrats and Republicans. A large majority of independents, 68 percent, support the creation of a third party.
“美国人的选择”拥有雄厚的资金支持。迄今为止，他们已经得到了约50位捐赠人提供的2000万美元的贷款，并将在募集到足够的小额捐款之后偿还这些贷款。他们计划接受10000美元以下的捐款，但是不会接受任何政治活动委员会或者利益团体的捐款。
The group has strong financial backing. So far, about 50 donors have loaned $20 million to the cause, and they'll be repaid if the group raises enough money in smaller contributions. Americans Elect plans to accept donations of up to $10,000, and to refuse money from political action committees and interest groups.
“美国人的选择”成员来自不同的政党，拥有不同的政治背景，其中包括马萨诸塞州州长德瓦尔•帕特里克的前任通讯主管，一位民主党民意调查员，一些公司总裁以及大学教授等等。他们都有一个共同的目标，就是将那些对两党倍感失望的中间派成员吸引在一起，对美国的现状进行革新。
Its members come from different political parties and backgrounds, including a former communications director for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democratic pollster, CEOs and college professors — all with the common goal of attracting disenchanted centrists to challenge the Washington status quo.
在包括密歇根州和密苏里州在内的八个州，“美国人的选择”已经收集了足够多的选民签名，获得了候选资格。他们打算向加利福尼亚州递交这数量惊人的160万签名。
Americans Elect has collected enough signatures to get a ballot line in eight states, including Michigan and Missouri. It plans to submit an astounding 1.6 million signatures in California.