[rovenstinez]

I will go one step further. WHY does the ballot have to be secret? When Senators elected are forced to show their hand, and Representives as well as Court Justices. Why can’t every ballot cast, be linked to a registry with a certified voter. The secret part of the ballot is killing us. I think people need to go on record who they support.

[Paladin2]

“WHY does the ballot have to be secret?”

Cancel Kultur.

[hanamizu]

WHY does the ballot have to be secret?

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Originally it wasn’t. Votes were counted by men moving to one corner or the other of the hall/bar/church/open field where the vote was tallied. Both sides were free to count the others numbers. It also helped candidates know that the men who had drunk their free whisky actually voted for them.

Later ballot boxes had glass sides. Different parties used different colored ballots, so everyone knew which party you voted for. I assume that you could split your vote on say a white ballot.

The secret ballot was a reform that came from Australia at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was called a reform to eliminate the buying and selling of votes. One reason liquor stores/bars were and maybe still are closed during voting hours is to eliminate the alcohol bribe.