“Ballots should have a bar-coded serial number that is recorded when they are issued.....................”
That way they can trace the vote to you!
No, the serial number can’t do that. The serial number would simply prove that it was an official ballot and not a xerox copy.
Once the ballot is separated from your hand or the envelope it is in it is not traceable to you...............
At this point it is the secret ballot that is the problem. They can change your vote and you’ll never know it. They should have a fingerprint ID for each ballot. Then you can get a receipt for your vote to trace it.
The secret ballot has outlived its purpose. They know who you voted for based on your party affiliation. But you don’t know who you actuality voted for because it could have been changed or tossed in the trash.