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To: hanamizu

The problem with having everyone see how you vote is that you can be threatened by job loss if you don’t vote the ‘right way’

Tammany Hall, a corrupt democratic vote machine in NYC, would have people fired from jobs if they didn’t’ t vote for the Tammany candidates.

Secret ballots have their issues but I don’t think we want to return to having everyone see your vote.


16 posted on 02/13/2023 10:36:35 AM PST by sloanrb
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To: sloanrb

The problem with having everyone see how you vote is that you can be threatened by job loss if you don’t vote the ‘right way’


At the time, the big worry was that you wouldn’t vote for the guy who gave you a shot of whiskey!

The idea of a ‘secret ballot’ came from Australia in the early 20th century. Before its adoption ballot boxes had glass sides and the different parties had different colored ballots specifically so people could see how you voted.

And yes, if you had a city job back in the day, you better vote the way the bosses told you!

(I wasn’t arguing for the old way, just explaining how it worked).


18 posted on 02/13/2023 10:44:20 AM PST by hanamizu
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