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Sorry, but the secret ballot is actually what keeps us from being intimidated before elections. Why do you think the Unions want to go to a non secret ballot? Because it is more fair or because they can then intimidate or have individuals fired for voting wrong(in their opinion)?Hint: it isn't because they think it will be fair. Secret ballot is the only way to go. However, a better process for tabulating the votes may be in order. One, a close race triggers a recount, laws should be in force that only ballots counted on the first count may be recounted, no ballots "found" during the recount will be counted but instead will be destroyed.ONLY one recount allowed, unless the results of the first recount finds in favor of the losing opponent, then a second recount is mandatory, the winner of two of the three counts will then decide the winner of the election.

All voters must present voter ID, and be fingerprinted at the polls on a standard form(electrical finger printing works fine and could be set up at polls). Fingerprints to be checked after the election and any discrepancy discovered will cause the fraudulent voter to be jailed for life without parole, no trial allowed. Paper ballots only. We still use them in my county in CA and they work well, we always vote conservative.

All of these ideas are workable and would cut down, if not out right eliminate, voter fraud. I am sure there are other ideas out there also.

However, secret ballots must be maintained if the integrity of our system is to be maintained at all.

The secret ballot was imported into the US in the late 19th century. It originated in Europe, and found its way here via Australia. Previous to the adoption of this idea, Americans were quite happy to stand up and be counted. Of course, women did not vote at that time.

US politicians (who expected to profit from vote stealing) sold the idea as part of the movement away from freedom toward security. This movement grew to include income tax, prohibition, increasing governmental control of the economy, widespread use of government schools and social security. It has now led to a communist in the white house (who is promising more "security" in the form of free health care).

It is true that unions prefer open ballots in company elections. Unions can bring in lots of thugs to intimidate the workers in a single factory, and the union leaders know that they are immune to prosecution because they own the politicians. The problem is that unions are allowed to break the law while "organizing". On the other hand, the union (and other statist) thugs do not constitute a majority of the electorate, so this sort of intimidation does not scale.

The government schools (and the SRM) continue to repeat the mantra that the secret ballot is sacred. It is and always has been a tool by which some politicians thwart the will of the voters. The promise of "security" is, as always, false. The cost of the guarantee that you cannot be held accountable for your vote is that your vote won't count. In the past, the fraud enabled by the secret ballot was limited to stealing close elections; President Acorn will remove such limitations.