A secret ballot: Necessary for democracy?

[CTLawGuy]

Do you believe that it is essential to be able to vote in secret, without people knowing for whom you voted?

Or do you believe it is not necessary to have a secret ballot, and that is ok to have the public be able to know for whom you voted?

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Secret ballots are just one subset of voting practices.

On the pro side, it prevents intimidation, and the voter can cast his ballot without fear of reprisal.

On the con side, it allows for a certain degree of uncertainty in knowing just what the vote is, allowing for a chance of vote fraud -- no one can say that the hand you raised is not your hand.

The last several elections, the ballot has been so secret that there is no verifying that they were honestly counted. As someone once said, it doesn't matter who votes; what matters is who counts the votes.

While the secret ballot lets the oppressed cast a vote without fear, how does that voter know that the tallys are correct?

I would forgo the secret ballot for an accurate one.

[CTLawGuy]

2. there needs to be a paper trail

and a match up to the # of voters who turn out.

[tjwmason]

3. In Britain we have secret ballots counted openly

I have been a formal witness to a number of elections. The ballots are placed in sealed boxes by the voters, these boxes are openned in the presence of the witnesses, and the votes therein counted.

The problem which we have is of voter identification, which is an entirely different issue, and as severe a problem with secret and open ballots.

[CTLawGuy]

4. kick

NT

[CTLawGuy]

5. kick again.

NT

[followthemoney]

6. Ballots are secret so they can't be sold...

I think if selling votes is good enough for congress then it should be good enough for those they represent.

[ldf]

7. as long as they are "secret"

we can never know the truth.

every vote should be recorded, notarized, with multiple copies for proof of the vote.

why should anyone be ashamed of who they vote for?

and i DON'T think that people can be discriminated against for who they vote for.

if that does happen, we should demand it be settled by the courts.

i think the democrats should come up with a system that verifies all the votes of democrats.

if we can't expect the truth from the "secret" ballots, through the various voting machines, we MUST have proof THAT we voted, and WHO we voted for.

i have no problem whatsoever with other people knowing i'm a democrat, and that i vote as one.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. You can have both.

Change the name to a number.