CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Secret ballot - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"37c5232f-98fe-4c35-9f27-f91813c9510b","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Secret_ballot","wgTitle":"Secret ballot","wgCurRevisionId":1257818943,"wgRevisionId":1257818943,"wgArticleId":479210,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Articles with French-language sources (fr)","Webarchive template wayback links","CS1 Swedish-language sources (sv)","CS1 Icelandic-language sources (is)","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","All articles with unsourced statements","Articles with unsourced statements from November 2024","Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2021","Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021", "Articles needing additional references from April 2010","All articles needing additional references","Articles containing predictions or speculation","Articles containing Danish-language text","Elections","Secrecy","Ballots"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Secret_ballot","wgRelevantArticleId":479210,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":40000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[], "wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q337987","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.tablesorter.styles":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready", "ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media","ext.scribunto.logs","site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.tablesorter","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.quicksurveys.init","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cjquery.tablesorter.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs%2C_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="2037"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs%2C_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1358"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1086"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Secret ballot - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_ballot"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_ballot"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Secret_ballot rootpage-Secret_ballot skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Secret+ballot" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Secret+ballot" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Secret+ballot" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Secret+ballot" title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Secret_vs._public_methods" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Secret_vs._public_methods"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Secret vs. public methods</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Secret_vs._public_methods-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-History" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>History</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-History-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle History subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-History-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Ancient" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ancient"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Ancient</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ancient-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-France" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#France"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>France</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-France-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_Kingdom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_Kingdom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>United Kingdom</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_Kingdom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Australia_and_New_Zealand" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Australia_and_New_Zealand"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>Australia and New Zealand</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Australia_and_New_Zealand-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_States" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_States"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.5</span> <span>United States</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_States-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-International_law" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#International_law"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>International law</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-International_law-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Disabled_people" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Disabled_people"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Disabled people</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Disabled_people-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Secrecy_exceptions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Secrecy_exceptions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Secrecy exceptions</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Secrecy_exceptions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Chronology_of_introduction" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Chronology_of_introduction"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Chronology of introduction</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Chronology_of_introduction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Secret ballot</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 33 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-33" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">33 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B9_%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A" title="اقتراع سري – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="اقتراع سري" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizli_s%C9%99sverm%C9%99" title="Gizli səsvermə – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Gizli səsvermə" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B5_%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B5" title="Таемнае галасаванне – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Таемнае галасаванне" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemmelig_afstemning" title="Hemmelig afstemning – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Hemmelig afstemning" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahlgeheimnis" title="Wahlgeheimnis – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Wahlgeheimnis" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufragio_secreto" title="Sufragio secreto – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Sufragio secreto" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sekreta_vo%C4%89donado" title="Sekreta voĉdonado – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Sekreta voĉdonado" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B1%D8%A3%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%DA%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C_%D9%85%D8%AE%D9%81%DB%8C" title="رأی‌گیری مخفی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="رأی‌گیری مخفی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote_%C3%A0_bulletin_secret" title="Vote à bulletin secret – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Vote à bulletin secret" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B9%84%EB%B0%80_%EC%84%A0%EA%B1%B0" title="비밀 선거 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="비밀 선거" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%B3%D5%A1%D5%B2%D5%BF%D5%B6%D5%AB_%D6%84%D5%BE%D5%A5%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%AF%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6" title="Գաղտնի քվեարկություն – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Գաղտնի քվեարկություն" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemungutan_suara_rahasia" title="Pemungutan suara rahasia – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Pemungutan suara rahasia" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%A2%D7%94_%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%99%D7%AA" title="הצבעה חשאית – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="הצבעה חשאית" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kn mw-list-item"><a href="https://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B2%97%E0%B3%81%E0%B2%AA%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%A4_%E0%B2%AE%E0%B2%A4%E0%B2%A6%E0%B2%BE%E0%B2%A8" title="ಗುಪ್ತ ಮತದಾನ – Kannada" lang="kn" hreflang="kn" data-title="ಗುಪ್ತ ಮತದಾನ" data-language-autonym="ಕನ್ನಡ" data-language-local-name="Kannada" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ಕನ್ನಡ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mr mw-list-item"><a href="https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8" title="गुप्त मतदान – Marathi" lang="mr" hreflang="mr" data-title="गुप्त मतदान" data-language-autonym="मराठी" data-language-local-name="Marathi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>मराठी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undi_rahsia" title="Undi rahsia – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Undi rahsia" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geheime_stemming" title="Geheime stemming – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Geheime stemming" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A7%98%E5%AF%86%E6%8A%95%E7%A5%A8" title="秘密投票 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="秘密投票" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemmelig_valg" title="Hemmelig valg – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Hemmelig valg" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajno%C5%9B%C4%87_g%C5%82osowania" title="Tajność głosowania – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Tajność głosowania" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voto_secreto" title="Voto secreto – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Voto secreto" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5" title="Тайное голосование – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Тайное голосование" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_ballot" title="Secret ballot – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Secret ballot" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D1%98%D0%BD%D0%BE_%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B0%D1%9A%D0%B5" title="Тајно гласање – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Тајно гласање" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajno_glasanje" title="Tajno glasanje – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Tajno glasanje" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaalisalaisuus" title="Vaalisalaisuus – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Vaalisalaisuus" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sluten_omr%C3%B6stning" title="Sluten omröstning – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Sluten omröstning" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizli_oy" title="Gizli oy – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Gizli oy" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D1%94%D0%BC%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F" title="Таємне голосування – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Таємне голосування" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AE%D9%81%DB%8C%DB%81_%D9%88%D9%88%D9%B9" title="خفیہ ووٹ – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="خفیہ ووٹ" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%E1%BB%8F_phi%E1%BA%BFu_k%C3%ADn" title="Bỏ phiếu kín – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Bỏ phiếu kín" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8D%E8%A8%98%E5%90%8D%E6%8A%95%E7%A5%A8" title="不記名投票 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="不記名投票" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8D%E8%A8%98%E5%90%8D%E6%8A%95%E7%A5%A8" title="不記名投票 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="不記名投票" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q337987#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Secret_ballot" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Secret_ballot" rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Secret_ballot"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Secret_ballot"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Secret_ballot" title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Secret_ballot" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&oldid=1257818943" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Secret_ballot&id=1257818943&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSecret_ballot"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSecret_ballot"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Secret_ballot&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q337987" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Anonymous voting method</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For 2001 Iranian film, see <a href="/wiki/Secret_Ballot_(film)" title="Secret Ballot (film)">Secret Ballot (film)</a>.</div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs,_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs%2C_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg/220px-Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs%2C_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="373" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs%2C_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="324" data-file-height="550" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs" title="Luis Guillermo Solís">Luis Guillermo Solís</a>, then-<a href="/wiki/President_of_Costa_Rica" title="President of Costa Rica">President of Costa Rica</a>, votes behind a privacy screen which says "The VOTE is SECRET".</figcaption></figure> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1246091330">.mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:22em;float:right;clear:right;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.2em;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%;border-collapse:collapse;display:table}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:table!important;float:right!important;margin:0.5em 0 1em 1em!important}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-subgroup{width:100%;margin:0;border-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-left{float:left;clear:left;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-none{float:none;clear:both;margin:0.5em 1em 1em 0}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-outer-title{padding:0 0.4em 0.2em;font-size:125%;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-image{padding:0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-top-caption,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle-with-top-image,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-caption{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-pretitle{padding:0.4em 0.4em 0;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.2em 0.8em;font-size:145%;line-height:1.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-image{padding:0.2em 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-heading{padding:0.1em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content{padding:0 0.5em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-content-with-subgroup{padding:0.1em 0.4em 0.2em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-below{padding:0.3em 0.8em;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-above,.mw-parser-output .sidebar-collapse .sidebar-below{border-top:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-navbar{text-align:right;font-size:115%;padding:0 0.4em 0.4em}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6em;font-size:105%}.mw-parser-output .sidebar-list-title-c{padding:0 0.4em;text-align:center;margin:0 3.3em}@media(max-width:640px){body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .sidebar{width:100%!important;clear:both;float:none!important;margin-left:0!important;margin-right:0!important}}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .sidebar a>img{max-width:none!important}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1246091330"><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle">Part of the <a href="/wiki/Category:Politics" title="Category:Politics">Politics series</a></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle" style="border-top:1px #fafafa solid; border-bottom:1px #fafafa solid; background:#efefef; background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000); padding:0.2em;"><a href="/wiki/Voting" title="Voting">Voting</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Vote_icon.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Vote_icon.svg/75px-Vote_icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="75" height="90" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Vote_icon.svg/113px-Vote_icon.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Vote_icon.svg/150px-Vote_icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="326" data-file-height="393" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content hlist" style="text-align:left;border-top:#ddd 1px solid;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Balloting</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks" style="background-color: transparent; color: var( --color-base ); border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0px; border:none; width:100%; margin:0px; font-size:100%; clear:none; float:none"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Ballot" title="Ballot">Ballots</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Absentee_ballot" title="Absentee ballot">Absentee ballot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Provisional_ballot" title="Provisional ballot">Provisional ballot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sample_ballot" title="Sample ballot">Sample ballot</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Candidate" title="Candidate">Candidates</a> and <a href="/wiki/Referendum" title="Referendum">Ballot measures</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Write-in_candidate" title="Write-in candidate">Write-in candidate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electoral_district" title="Electoral district">Electorate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slate_(elections)" title="Slate (elections)">Slate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ticket_(election)" title="Ticket (election)">Ticket</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Collection</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ballot_box" title="Ballot box">Ballot box</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Compulsory_voting" title="Compulsory voting">Compulsory voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_voting" title="Early voting">Early voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electronic_voting" title="Electronic voting">Electronic voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Open_ballot_system" title="Open ballot system">Open ballot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polling_place" class="mw-redirect" title="Polling place">Polling place</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_voting" title="Postal voting">Postal voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electoral_precinct" title="Electoral precinct">Precinct</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vote_center" title="Vote center">Vote center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voting_booth" class="mw-redirect" title="Voting booth">Voting booth</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Vote_counting" title="Vote counting">Counting</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Popular_vote_(representative_democracy)" class="mw-redirect" title="Popular vote (representative democracy)">Popular vote</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tally_(voting)" title="Tally (voting)">Tally</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voting_machine" title="Voting machine">Voting machine</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content hlist" style="text-align:left;border-top:#ddd 1px solid;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Electoral_systems" class="mw-redirect" title="Electoral systems">Electoral systems</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks" style="background-color: transparent; color: var( --color-base ); border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0px; border:none; width:100%; margin:0px; font-size:100%; clear:none; float:none"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Plurality_voting" title="Plurality voting">Plurality and majoritarian systems</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting" title="First-past-the-post voting">First-past-the-post voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Two-round_system" title="Two-round system">Two-round system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting" title="Instant-runoff voting">Instant-runoff voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plurality-at-large_voting" class="mw-redirect" title="Plurality-at-large voting">Plurality-at-large voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/General_ticket" title="General ticket">General ticket</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Usual_judgment" class="mw-redirect" title="Usual judgment">Usual judgment</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Proportional_representation" title="Proportional representation">Proportional and semi-proportional systems</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Single_non-transferable_vote" title="Single non-transferable vote">Single non-transferable vote</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cumulative_voting" title="Cumulative voting">Cumulative voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Binomial_voting_system" title="Binomial voting system">Binomial system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Party-list_proportional_representation" title="Party-list proportional representation">Party-list</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Single_transferable_voting" class="mw-redirect" title="Single transferable voting">Single transferable voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spare_vote" title="Spare vote">Spare vote</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Mixed_electoral_systems" class="mw-redirect" title="Mixed electoral systems">Mixed-member systems</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mixed-member_proportional_representation" title="Mixed-member proportional representation">Mixed-member proportional</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Additional_member_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Additional member system">Additional member system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mixed_single_vote" title="Mixed single vote">Mixed single vote (positive vote transfer)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scorporo" title="Scorporo">Scorporo (negative vote transfer)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mixed_ballot_transferable_vote" title="Mixed ballot transferable vote">Mixed ballot transferable vote</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alternative_Vote_Plus" class="mw-redirect" title="Alternative Vote Plus">Alternative Vote Plus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dual-member_proportional_representation" class="mw-redirect" title="Dual-member proportional representation">Dual-member proportional</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rural%E2%80%93urban_proportional_representation" title="Rural–urban proportional representation">Rural–urban proportional</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Majority_bonus_system" title="Majority bonus system">Majority bonus system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parallel_voting" title="Parallel voting">Parallel voting (Mixed member majoritarian)</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content hlist" style="text-align:left;border-top:#ddd 1px solid;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Voting strategies</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks" style="background-color: transparent; color: var( --color-base ); border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0px; border:none; width:100%; margin:0px; font-size:100%; clear:none; float:none"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Issue_voting" title="Issue voting">Issue voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electoral_fusion" class="mw-redirect" title="Electoral fusion">Fusion voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Split-ticket_voting" title="Split-ticket voting">Split-ticket voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Straight-ticket_voting" title="Straight-ticket voting">Straight-ticket voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tactical_voting" class="mw-redirect" title="Tactical voting">Tactical voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vote_pairing" title="Vote pairing">Vote pairing</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Protest_vote" title="Protest vote">Protest votes</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abstention" title="Abstention">Abstention</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Donkey_vote" title="Donkey vote">Donkey vote</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Election_boycott" title="Election boycott">Election boycott</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/None_of_the_above" title="None of the above">None of the above</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Refused_ballot" title="Refused ballot">Refused ballot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spoilt_vote" title="Spoilt vote">Spoilt vote</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content hlist" style="text-align:left;border-top:#ddd 1px solid;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Voting patterns and effects</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks" style="background-color: transparent; color: var( --color-base ); border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0px; border:none; width:100%; margin:0px; font-size:100%; clear:none; float:none"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Coattail_effect" title="Coattail effect">Coattail effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voting_advice_application" title="Voting advice application">Voting advice application</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_segments_in_political_polling" title="Voter segments in political polling">Likely voter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paradox_of_voting" title="Paradox of voting">Paradox of voting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Passive_electioneering" title="Passive electioneering">Passive electioneering</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vote_splitting" class="mw-redirect" title="Vote splitting">Vote splitting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Political_apathy" title="Political apathy">Political apathy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_fatigue" title="Voter fatigue">Voter fatigue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_turnout" title="Voter turnout">Voter turnout</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Protest_vote" title="Protest vote">Protest votes</a></th></tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content hlist" style="text-align:left;border-top:#ddd 1px solid;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="/wiki/Electoral_fraud" title="Electoral fraud">Electoral fraud</a> and prevention</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks" style="background-color: transparent; color: var( --color-base ); border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0px; border:none; width:100%; margin:0px; font-size:100%; clear:none; float:none"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ballot_harvesting" class="mw-redirect" title="Ballot harvesting">Ballot harvesting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ballot_stuffing" class="mw-redirect" title="Ballot stuffing">Ballot stuffing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_intimidation" class="mw-redirect" title="Voter intimidation">Voter intimidation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vote_buying" title="Vote buying">Vote buying</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_suppression" title="Voter suppression">Voter suppression</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_caging" title="Voter caging">Voter caging</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Prevention</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Election_ink" title="Election ink">Election ink</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Secret ballot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_registration" title="Voter registration">Voter registration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/End-to-end_verifiable_voting" class="mw-redirect" title="End-to-end verifiable voting">End-to-end verifiable voting</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below" style="background:#efefef;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);"> <span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:A_coloured_voting_box.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/16px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/24px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/32px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="160" data-file-height="160" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Politics" title="Portal:Politics">Politics portal</a></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Voting" class="mw-redirect" title="Template:Voting"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Voting" class="mw-redirect" title="Template talk:Voting"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Voting" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Voting"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>secret ballot</b>, also known as the <b>Australian ballot</b>,<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> is a voting method in which a <a href="/wiki/Voter" class="mw-redirect" title="Voter">voter</a>'s identity in an <a href="/wiki/Election" title="Election">election</a> or a <a href="/wiki/Referendum" title="Referendum">referendum</a> is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by <a href="/wiki/Intimidation" title="Intimidation">intimidation</a>, blackmailing, and potential <a href="/wiki/Vote_buying" title="Vote buying">vote buying</a>. This system is one means of achieving the goal of political privacy. </p><p>Secret <a href="/wiki/Ballot" title="Ballot">ballots</a> are used in conjunction with various <a href="/wiki/Voting_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Voting system">voting systems</a>. The most basic form of a secret ballot utilizes paper ballots upon which each voter marks their choices. Without revealing the votes, the voter folds the ballot paper in half and places it in a sealed box. This box is later emptied for counting. An aspect of secret voting is the provision of a <a href="/wiki/Voting_booth" class="mw-redirect" title="Voting booth">voting booth</a> to enable the voter to write on the ballot paper without others being able to see what is being written. Today, printed ballot papers are usually provided, with the names of the candidates or questions and respective check boxes. Provisions are made at the <a href="/wiki/Polling_place" class="mw-redirect" title="Polling place">polling place</a> for the voters to record their preferences in secret, and the ballots are designed to eliminate bias and prevent anyone from linking voters to the ballot. </p><p>A privacy problem arises with moves to improve the efficiency of voting by the introduction of <a href="/wiki/Postal_voting" title="Postal voting">postal voting</a> and remote <a href="/wiki/Electronic_voting" title="Electronic voting">electronic voting</a>. Some countries permit <a href="/wiki/Proxy_voting" title="Proxy voting">proxy voting</a>, but some argue this is inconsistent with voting privacy. The popularity of the <a href="/wiki/Ballot_selfie" title="Ballot selfie">ballot selfie</a> has challenged the secrecy of in-person voting. </p><p>In systems of <a href="/wiki/Direct_democracy" title="Direct democracy">direct democracy</a>, such as the Swiss <i><a href="/wiki/Landsgemeinde" title="Landsgemeinde">Landsgemeinde</a></i>, voting is typically conducted publicly to ensure all citizens can observe the outcome. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Secret_vs._public_methods">Secret vs. public methods</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Secret vs. public methods"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The secret ballot became commonplace for <i>individual citizens</i> in <a href="/wiki/Democracy" title="Democracy">democracies</a> worldwide by the late 20th century. </p><p>Votes taken by <i>elected officials</i> are typically public, so citizens can judge officials' and former officials' voting records in future elections. This may be done with a physical or electronic in-person system or through a <a href="/wiki/Roll_call_vote" class="mw-redirect" title="Roll call vote">roll call vote</a>. Some faster legislative voting methods do not record who voted in which way, though witnesses in the legislative chambers may still notice a given legislator's vote. These include <a href="/wiki/Voice_vote" title="Voice vote">voice votes</a> where the volume of shouting for or against is taken as a measure of numerical support and counting of raised hands. In some cases, a secret ballot is used to allow representatives to choose party leadership without fear of retaliation against those voting for losing candidates. The parliamentary tactics of forcing or avoiding a roll call vote can be used to discourage or encourage representatives to vote in a manner that is politically unpopular among constituents (for example, if a policy considered to be in the public interest is difficult to explain or unpopular but without a better alternative, or to hide pandering to a special interest) or to create or prevent fodder for political campaigns. </p><p>Public methods of citizen voting have included: </p> <ul><li>Oral proclamation, where votes are shouted out one at a time, usually at an assembly<sup id="cite_ref-throughline_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Going to a particular area at an assembly, such as a <a href="/wiki/Town_meeting" title="Town meeting">town meeting</a> or the <a href="/wiki/Iowa_caucus" class="mw-redirect" title="Iowa caucus">Iowa caucus</a>. This is the origin of the term <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poll" class="extiw" title="wikt:poll">poll</a></i> for an election, originally meaning "top of the head", which is what was being counted at these assemblies.<sup id="cite_ref-throughline_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Small balls or other objects, such as corn, pebbles, beans, bullets, colored marbles, or cards. This is the origin of the term <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ballot" class="extiw" title="wikt:ballot">ballot</a></i>, originally meaning "small ball".<sup id="cite_ref-throughline_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Raising of hands at an assembly</li> <li>Cutting a brightly colored ballot (with the color corresponding to the party of choice) out of a newspaper and bringing it to a polling place<sup id="cite_ref-throughline_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>An <a href="/wiki/Open_ballot_system" title="Open ballot system">open ballot system</a></li></ul> <p>Private methods of citizen voting have included: </p> <ul><li>Writing the name of the preferred candidate or outcome on a piece of paper and putting it in a container (which excludes illiterate voters)<sup id="cite_ref-throughline_2-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Marking a government-printed ballot (which may exclude illiterate voters if they only include words and cannot get assistance,<sup id="cite_ref-throughline_2-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but some ballots include colors, symbols, or pictures to avoid this)</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ancient">Ancient</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Ancient"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greece" title="Ancient Greece">ancient Greece</a>, secret ballots were used in several situations like <a href="/wiki/Ostracism" title="Ostracism">ostracism</a><sup id="cite_ref-murray1993_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-murray1993-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and also to remain hidden from people seeking favors.<sup id="cite_ref-boegehold1963_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-boegehold1963-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In early 5th century BC the secrecy of ballot at <a href="/wiki/Ecclesia_(ancient_Greece)" title="Ecclesia (ancient Greece)">ecclesia</a> was not the primary concern, but more of a consequence of using <a href="/wiki/Ballot" title="Ballot">ballots</a> to count the votes accurately.<sup id="cite_ref-hansen1983_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hansen1983-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Secret ballot was introduced into public life of Athens during second half of the fifth century.<sup id="cite_ref-boegehold1963_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-boegehold1963-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Rome" title="Ancient Rome">ancient Rome</a>, the <i><a href="/wiki/Tabellariae_Leges" class="mw-redirect" title="Tabellariae Leges">Tabellariae Leges</a> (</i>English: <i>Ballot Laws)</i> were four laws that implemented secret ballots for votes cast regarding each of the major elected assemblies of the <a href="/wiki/Roman_Republic" title="Roman Republic">Roman Republic</a>. Three of the four laws were put in place in relatively quick succession, with one each in the years 139 BC, 137 BC, and 131 BC, applying respectively to the elections of <a href="/wiki/Roman_magistrate" title="Roman magistrate">magistrates</a>, jury deliberations excepting charges of <a href="/wiki/Treason" title="Treason">treason</a> as well as the passage of laws. The final of the four laws was implemented more than two decades later in 107 BC and served solely to expand the law passed in 137 BC to require secret ballots for all jury deliberations, including treason.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Before these ballot laws, one was required to verbally provide their vote to an individual responsible for tallying the votes, effectively publicly making every voter's vote known. Mandating secret ballots had the effect of reducing the influence of the Roman aristocracy, who were capable of influencing elections through a combination of bribes and threats. Secret balloting helps assuage both of those concerns, as not only are one's peers unable to determine which way you voted, there is additionally no proof that could be produced that you <i>did</i> vote certain way, perhaps contravening directions .<sup id="cite_ref-:1_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="France">France</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: France"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Article 31 of the Constitution of the Year III of the Revolution (1795)<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> states that "All elections are to be held by secret ballot". The same goes with the <a href="/wiki/French_Constitution_of_1848" title="French Constitution of 1848">constitution of 1848</a>:<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> voters could hand-write the name of their preferred candidate on their ballot at home (the only condition was to write on white paper<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>) or receive one distributed on the street.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The ballot was folded in order to prevent other people from reading its contents.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Napoleon_III" title="Napoleon III">Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte</a> attempted to abolish the secret ballot for the <a href="/wiki/1851_French_constitutional_referendum" title="1851 French constitutional referendum">1851 plebiscite</a> with an electoral <a href="/wiki/Decree" title="Decree">decree</a> requesting electors to write down "yes" or "no" (in French: "oui" or "non") under the eyes of everyone. But he faced strong opposition and finally changed his mind, allowing the secret ballot to occur.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>According to the official website of the <i><a href="/wiki/Assembl%C3%A9e_nationale" class="mw-redirect" title="Assemblée nationale">Assemblée nationale</a></i> (the lower house of the French parliament), the <a href="/wiki/Voting_booth" class="mw-redirect" title="Voting booth">voting booth</a> was permanently adopted only in 1913.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="United_Kingdom">United Kingdom</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: United Kingdom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:An_Election_III,_The_Polling,_by_William_Hogarth.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/An_Election_III%2C_The_Polling%2C_by_William_Hogarth.jpg/220px-An_Election_III%2C_The_Polling%2C_by_William_Hogarth.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="172" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/An_Election_III%2C_The_Polling%2C_by_William_Hogarth.jpg/330px-An_Election_III%2C_The_Polling%2C_by_William_Hogarth.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/An_Election_III%2C_The_Polling%2C_by_William_Hogarth.jpg/440px-An_Election_III%2C_The_Polling%2C_by_William_Hogarth.jpg 2x" data-file-width="768" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption><i><a href="/wiki/Humours_of_an_Election" title="Humours of an Election">The Polling</a></i> by <a href="/wiki/William_Hogarth" title="William Hogarth">William Hogarth</a> (1755). Before the secret ballot was introduced, voter intimidation was commonplace.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg/220px-Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="119" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg/330px-Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg/440px-Cardiganshire_Election_ballot_paper_1880.jpg 2x" data-file-width="776" data-file-height="420" /></a><figcaption>A British "how to vote" card from 1880</figcaption></figure> <p>The demand for a secret ballot was one of the six points of <a href="/wiki/Chartism" title="Chartism">Chartism</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Parliament of the United Kingdom">British parliament</a> of the time refused even to consider the Chartist demands. Still, <a href="/wiki/Thomas_Babington_Macaulay,_1st_Baron_Macaulay" class="mw-redirect" title="Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay">Lord Macaulay</a>, in an 1842 speech, while rejecting Chartism's six points as a whole, admitted that the secret ballot was one of the two points he could support. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/London_School_Board" title="London School Board">London School Board</a> election of 1870 was Britain's first large-scale election by secret ballot. </p><p>After several failed attempts (several of them spearheaded by <a href="/wiki/George_Grote" title="George Grote">George Grote</a><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>), the secret ballot was eventually extended generally in the <a href="/wiki/Ballot_Act_1872" title="Ballot Act 1872">Ballot Act 1872</a>, substantially reducing the cost of campaigning (as <a href="/wiki/Treating" title="Treating">treating</a> was no longer realistically possible) and was first used on <a href="/wiki/1872_Pontefract_by-election" title="1872 Pontefract by-election">15 August 1872</a> to re-elect <a href="/wiki/Hugh_Childers" title="Hugh Childers">Hugh Childers</a> as MP for <a href="/wiki/Pontefract_(UK_Parliament_constituency)" title="Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)">Pontefract</a> in a <a href="/wiki/Ministerial_by-election_(UK)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ministerial by-election (UK)">ministerial by-election</a> following his appointment as <a href="/wiki/Chancellor_of_the_Duchy_of_Lancaster" title="Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster">Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster</a>. The original <a href="/wiki/Ballot_box" title="Ballot box">ballot box</a>, sealed in wax with a licorice stamp, is held at Pontefract museum.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>However, the UK <a href="#Secrecy_exceptions">uses numbered ballots</a> to allow courts to intervene, under rare circumstances, to identify which candidate voters voted for. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Australia_and_New_Zealand">Australia and New Zealand</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Australia and New Zealand"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In Australia, secret balloting appears to have been first implemented in <a href="/wiki/Tasmania" title="Tasmania">Tasmania</a> on 7 February 1856. </p><p>Until the original Tasmanian <i>Electoral Act 1856</i> was "re-discovered" recently, credit for the first implementation of the secret ballot often went to Victoria, where the former mayor of Melbourne <a href="/wiki/William_Nicholson_(Australian_politician)" title="William Nicholson (Australian politician)">William Nicholson</a> pioneered it,<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and simultaneously <a href="/wiki/South_Australia" title="South Australia">South Australia</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Victoria enacted <a href="/wiki/Electoral_Act_1856" title="Electoral Act 1856">legislation</a> for secret ballots on 19 March 1856,<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and South Australian Electoral Commissioner <a href="/wiki/William_Boothby" title="William Boothby">William Boothby</a> generally gets credit for creating the system finally enacted into law in South Australia on 2 April of that same year (a fortnight later). The other British colonies in Australia followed: <a href="/wiki/New_South_Wales" title="New South Wales">New South Wales</a> (1858), <a href="/wiki/Queensland" title="Queensland">Queensland</a> (1859), and <a href="/wiki/Western_Australia" title="Western Australia">Western Australia</a> (1877). </p><p>State electoral laws, including the secret ballot, applied for the first election of the Australian parliament in 1901, and the system has continued to be a feature of federal elections and referendums. The <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_Electoral_Act_1918" title="Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918">Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918</a> does not explicitly set out the secret ballot, but a reading of sections 206, 207, 325, and 327 of the Act would imply its assumption. Sections 323 and 226(4), however, apply the principle of a secret ballot to polling staff and would also support the assumption. </p><p><a href="/wiki/New_Zealand" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a> implemented secret voting in 1870.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="United_States">United States</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: United States"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg/220px-1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="163" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg/330px-1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg/440px-1900_New_York_polling_place.jpg 2x" data-file-width="965" data-file-height="713" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/New_York_(state)" title="New York (state)">New York</a> polling place <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1900</span>, showing <a href="/wiki/Voting_booth" class="mw-redirect" title="Voting booth">voting booths</a> on the left</figcaption></figure> <p>Before the final years of the 19th century, partisan newspapers printed filled-out ballots, which party workers distributed on election day so voters could drop them directly into the boxes. Individual states moved to secret ballots soon after the <a href="/wiki/1884_United_States_presidential_election" title="1884 United States presidential election">presidential election of 1884</a>, finishing with <a href="/wiki/Kentucky" title="Kentucky">Kentucky</a> in 1891 when it quit using an oral ballot.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources"><span title="This citation requires a reference to the specific page or range of pages in which the material appears. (January 2021)">page needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Initially, however, a state's new ballot did not necessarily have all four components of an "Australian ballot":<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ol><li>an official ballot being printed at public expense,</li> <li>on which the names of the nominated candidates of all parties and all proposals appear,</li> <li>being distributed only at the polling place and</li> <li>being marked in secret.</li></ol> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ballot-foia.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Ballot-foia.png/220px-Ballot-foia.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="263" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Ballot-foia.png/330px-Ballot-foia.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Ballot-foia.png/440px-Ballot-foia.png 2x" data-file-width="4656" data-file-height="5568" /></a><figcaption>Ballots or scanned images available to public for independent audits</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Keepimages.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Keepimages.png/220px-Keepimages.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="211" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Keepimages.png/330px-Keepimages.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Keepimages.png/440px-Keepimages.png 2x" data-file-width="6288" data-file-height="6024" /></a><figcaption>Ballot images saved by election scanners</figcaption></figure> <p>After ballots are cast and no longer identifiable to the voter, several states make the ballots and copies of them available to the public so the public can check counts and do other research with the anonymous ballots.<sup id="cite_ref-rcfp_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rcfp-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-rcfpelect_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rcfpelect-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Louisville,_Kentucky" title="Louisville, Kentucky">Louisville, Kentucky</a>, was the first city in the United States to adopt the Australian ballot. It was drafted by <a href="/wiki/Lewis_Naphtali_Dembitz" title="Lewis Naphtali Dembitz">Lewis Naphtali Dembitz</a>, the uncle of and inspiration for future <a href="/wiki/Associate_Justice_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court associate justice</a> <a href="/wiki/Louis_Brandeis" title="Louis Brandeis">Louis Brandeis</a>. <a href="/wiki/Massachusetts" title="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</a> adopted the first state-wide Australian ballot, written by reformer <a href="/wiki/Richard_Henry_Dana_III" title="Richard Henry Dana III">Richard Henry Dana III</a>, in 1888. Consequently, it is also known as the "Massachusetts ballot". Seven states did not have government-printed ballots until the 20th century. <a href="/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)" title="Georgia (U.S. state)">Georgia</a> started using them in 1922.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> When <a href="/wiki/South_Carolina" title="South Carolina">South Carolina</a> followed suit in 1950, this completed the nationwide switch to Australian ballots. The 20th century also brought the first criminal prohibitions against <a href="/wiki/Electoral_fraud#Vote_buying" title="Electoral fraud">buying votes</a> in 1925.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>While U.S. elections are now held primarily by secret ballot, there are a few exceptions: </p> <ul><li>North Carolina has a confidential but not secret ballot for early in-person voting (one-stop) and absentee-by-mail voting. General Statute § 163-227.5 states that the "ballot shall have a ballot number on it in accordance with G.S. 163-230.1(a2), or shall have an equivalent identifier to allow for retrievability." If a voter casts an absentee ballot or votes at a one-stop site (early voting) or absentee-by-mail, but it is discovered that the voter was ineligible (ex., died between casting ballot and election day), the ballot would be retrieved using a unique number written at the top of the ballot. Each county Election Director maintains a database with the names of each voter and associated retrievable ballot numbers.</li> <li>Mail-in ballots do not meet the definition of Australian ballots, as they are distributed to voters' homes, and there is no guarantee that they are marked secretly. They may be used as <a href="/wiki/Absentee_ballot" title="Absentee ballot">absentee ballots</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Colorado" title="Colorado">Colorado</a>, <a href="/wiki/Oregon" title="Oregon">Oregon</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Washington_(state)" title="Washington (state)">Washington</a> conduct all elections by mail.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>In some <a href="/wiki/U.S._state" title="U.S. state">U.S. states</a>, a <a href="/wiki/Political_party" title="Political party">political party</a> nominating <a href="/wiki/Caucus" title="Caucus">caucus</a> requires an <a href="/wiki/Open_ballot_system" title="Open ballot system">open ballot system</a>. This includes, most notably, the leadoff Presidential nominating state of <a href="/wiki/Iowa" title="Iowa">Iowa</a>.</li> <li>The Constitution of <a href="/wiki/West_Virginia" title="West Virginia">West Virginia</a> specifies that voters may choose to cast an open ballot, though they must also have the option to cast a secret ballot.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="International_law">International law</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: International law"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The right to hold elections by secret ballot is included in numerous <a href="/wiki/Treaties" class="mw-redirect" title="Treaties">treaties</a> and international agreements that obligate their signatory states: </p> <ul><li>Article 21.3 of the <i><a href="/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights" title="Universal Declaration of Human Rights">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a></i> states, "The will of the people...shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which...shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Article 23 of the <i><a href="/wiki/American_Convention_on_Human_Rights" title="American Convention on Human Rights">American Convention on Human Rights</a> (the Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica)</i> grants to every citizen of member states of the <a href="/wiki/Organization_of_American_States" title="Organization of American States">Organization of American States</a> the right and opportunity "to vote and to be elected in genuine periodic elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters".<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Paragraph 7.4 of the <i>Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE</i> obligates the member states of the <a href="/wiki/Organization_for_Security_and_Cooperation_in_Europe" class="mw-redirect" title="Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe">Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe</a> to "ensure that votes are cast by secret ballot or by equivalent free voting procedure, and that they are counted and reported honestly with the official results made public."<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Article 5 of the <i>Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States" title="Commonwealth of Independent States">Commonwealth of Independent States</a></i> obligates electoral bodies not to perform "any action violating the principle of voter's secret will expression."<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Article 29 of the <i>Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</i> requires that all Contracting States protect "the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums"</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Disabled_people">Disabled people</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Disabled people"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Topvoter2.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Topvoter2.jpg/220px-Topvoter2.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Topvoter2.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="256" data-file-height="192" /></a><figcaption>ISG TopVoter, a voting machine which assures secret ballot for voters with disabilities</figcaption></figure> <p>Ballot design and polling place architecture often deny the <a href="/wiki/Disabled" class="mw-redirect" title="Disabled">disabled</a> the possibility to cast a vote secretly. In many democracies disabled persons may vote by appointing another person who is allowed to join them in the voting booth and fill the ballot in their name.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This does not assure secrecy of the ballot. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/United_Nations" title="United Nations">United Nations</a> <a href="/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_Persons_with_Disabilities" title="Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities">Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a>, which entered into force in 2008, ensures a secret ballot for disabled voters. Article 29 of the Convention requires that all Contracting States protect "the right of the person with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in <a href="/wiki/Elections" class="mw-redirect" title="Elections">elections</a> and public <a href="/wiki/Referendums" class="mw-redirect" title="Referendums">referendums</a>". According to this provision, each Contracting State should provide voting equipment enabling disabled voters to vote independently and secretly. Some democracies, e.g. the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Netherlands" title="Netherlands">Netherlands</a>, <a href="/wiki/Slovenia" title="Slovenia">Slovenia</a>, <a href="/wiki/Albania" title="Albania">Albania</a> or <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> allow disabled voters to use electronic <a href="/wiki/Voting_machines" class="mw-redirect" title="Voting machines">voting machines</a>. In others, among them <a href="/wiki/Azerbaijan" title="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>, <a href="/wiki/Canada" title="Canada">Canada</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ghana" title="Ghana">Ghana</a>, the <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>, and most <a href="/wiki/Africa" title="Africa">African</a> and <a href="/wiki/Asia" title="Asia">Asian</a> countries, visually impaired voters can use ballots in <a href="/wiki/Braille" title="Braille">Braille</a> or paper ballot templates. Article 29 also requires that Contracting States ensure "that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use." In some democracies, e.g., the United Kingdom, <a href="/wiki/Sweden" title="Sweden">Sweden</a> and the United States, all the polling places already are fully accessible for disabled voters.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Secrecy_exceptions">Secrecy exceptions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Secrecy exceptions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Secret_ballot" title="Special:EditPage/Secret ballot">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a> in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">April 2010</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a> secret ballot arrangements are sometimes criticized because linking a ballot paper to the voter who cast it is possible. Each ballot paper is individually numbered, and each elector has a number. When an elector is given a ballot paper, their number is noted down on the counterfoil of the ballot paper (which also carries the ballot paper number). This means, of course, that the secrecy of the ballot is not guaranteed if anyone can gain access to the counterfoils, which are locked away securely before the ballot boxes are opened at the count. Polling station officials colluding with election scrutineers may, therefore, determine how individual electors have voted.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:What_Wikipedia_is_not#CRYSTAL" title="Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not"><span title="Material appears to be speculative in nature. (October 2023)">speculation?</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>This measure is thought to be justified as a security arrangement so that false ballot papers could be identified if there was an allegation of fraud. The process of matching ballot papers to voters is formally permissible only if an <a href="/wiki/Election_Court" class="mw-redirect" title="Election Court">Election Court</a> requires it; the Election Court has rarely made such an order since the secret ballot was introduced in <a href="/wiki/Ballot_Act_1872" title="Ballot Act 1872">1872</a>. One example was in a close local election contest in Richmond-upon-Thames in the late 1970s with three disputed ballots and a declared majority of two votes. Reportedly, prisoners in a UK prison were observed identifying voters' ballot votes on a list in 2008.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The legal authority for this system is set out in the Parliamentary Elections Rules in Schedule 1 of the <a href="/wiki/Representation_of_the_People_Act_1983" title="Representation of the People Act 1983">Representation of the People Act 1983</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Most states guarantee a secret ballot in the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>. But some states, including <a href="/wiki/Indiana" title="Indiana">Indiana</a> and <a href="/wiki/North_Carolina" title="North Carolina">North Carolina</a>, require the ability to link some ballots to voters. This may, for example, be used with absentee voting to retain the ability to cancel a vote if the voter dies before election day.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sometimes the number on the ballot is printed on a perforated stub which is torn off and placed on a ring (like a <a href="/wiki/Shower_curtain" class="mw-redirect" title="Shower curtain">shower curtain</a> ring) before the ballot is cast into the ballot box. The stubs prove that an elector has voted and ensure they can only vote once, but the ballots are both secret and anonymous. At the end of voting day, the number of ballots inside the box should match the number of stubs on the ring, certifying that a registered elector cast every ballot and that none of them were lost or fabricated. Sometimes, the ballots themselves are numbered, making the vote trackable. In 2012 in Colorado, this procedure was ruled legal by Federal District Judge <a href="/wiki/Christine_Arguello" title="Christine Arguello">Christine Arguello</a>, who determined that the U.S. Constitution does not grant a right to a secret ballot.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Chronology_of_introduction">Chronology of introduction</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Chronology of introduction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <table class="wikitable sortable" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <th>Date </th> <th>Country </th> <th>Notes </th></tr> <tr> <td>1831 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/France" title="France">France</a> </td> <td>Systems before 1856 (including those in France, the Netherlands, and Colombia) "merely required ballots to be marked in polling booths and deposited into ballot boxes, which permitted non-uniform ballots, including ballots of different colours and sizes, that could be easily identified as party tickets."<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1856 (February 7) </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a> (<a href="/wiki/Tasmania_(Australia)" class="mw-redirect" title="Tasmania (Australia)">Tasmania</a>) </td> <td>The other Australian colonies of <a href="/wiki/Victoria_(Australia)" class="mw-redirect" title="Victoria (Australia)">Victoria</a> (March 19, 1856), <a href="/wiki/South_Australia" title="South Australia">South Australia</a> (April 2, 1856), <a href="/wiki/New_South_Wales" title="New South Wales">New South Wales</a> (1858), <a href="/wiki/Queensland" title="Queensland">Queensland</a> (1859), and <a href="/wiki/Western_Australia" title="Western Australia">Western Australia</a> (1877) followed. </td></tr> <tr> <td>1866 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Sweden" title="Sweden">Sweden</a> </td> <td>Voters previously chose a party-specific ballot in the open, which had been criticised for limiting the secrecy. However, the ballots are now placed behind a privacy screen, so the secrecy remains.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> European Commission for democracy through law (Venice Commission) "Voters are entitled to [secrecy of ballot], but must also respect it themselves, and non-compliance must be punished by disqualifying any ballot paper whose content has been disclosed [...] Violation of the secrecy of the ballot must be punished, just like violations of other aspects of voter freedom." (Code of good practice in electoral matters, art. 52, 55) </td></tr> <tr> <td>1867 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Germany" title="Germany">Germany</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/August_1867_North_German_federal_election" title="August 1867 North German federal election">August 1867 North German federal election</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1872 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland" title="United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland">United Kingdom</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Ballot_Act_1872" title="Ballot Act 1872">Ballot Act 1872</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1877 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Belgium" title="Belgium">Belgium</a> </td> <td>The Act of 9 July 1877 or "<a href="/wiki/Jules_Malou" title="Jules Malou">Malou</a> Act", based on the British <a href="/wiki/Ballot_Act_1872" title="Ballot Act 1872">Ballot Act 1872</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1891 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States of America</a> </td> <td>Individual states adopted secret ballots between 1884 and 1891. (<a href="/wiki/Massachusetts" title="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</a> was the first to meet all of the Australian ballot requirements in 1888. <a href="/wiki/South_Carolina" title="South Carolina">South Carolina</a> was the last, in 1950.) </td></tr> <tr> <td>1901 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Denmark" title="Denmark">Denmark</a> </td> <td>In connection with <a href="/wiki/Cabinet_of_Deuntzer#Shift_of_government" class="mw-redirect" title="Cabinet of Deuntzer">The Shift of Government</a> (<a href="/wiki/Danish_language" title="Danish language">Danish</a>: <i lang="da">Systemskiftet</i>)<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1903 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Iceland" title="Iceland">Iceland</a> </td> <td>Originally passed by the Icelandic parliament in 1902, but the legislation was rejected by <a href="/wiki/Christian_IX_of_Denmark" title="Christian IX of Denmark">King Christian IX</a> for technical reasons unrelated to ballot secrecy.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Passed into law 1903.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1912 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Argentina" title="Argentina">Argentina</a> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/S%C3%A1enz_Pe%C3%B1a_Law" title="Sáenz Peña Law">Sáenz Peña Law</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td>1939 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Hungary" title="Hungary">Hungary</a> </td> <td>The secret ballot system was already applied at the 1920 elections, but in 1922, the government reinstated open voting in the countryside. Between 1922 and 1939, only the voters in the capital (Budapest) and larger cities could vote with secret ballot. The electoral law passed in 1938 introduced the nationwide secret ballot system again. </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ballot_selfie" title="Ballot selfie">Ballot selfie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Election_fraud" class="mw-redirect" title="Election fraud">Election fraud</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Knowledge_falsification" title="Knowledge falsification">Knowledge falsification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Preference_falsification" title="Preference falsification">Preference falsification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voter_suppression" title="Voter suppression">Voter suppression</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Australian-ballot">"Australian ballot | politics"</a>. <i>Encyclopedia Britannica</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190811051156/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Australian-ballot">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-08-11<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-11-09</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Encyclopedia+Britannica&rft.atitle=Australian+ballot+%26%23124%3B+politics&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftopic%2FAustralian-ballot&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-throughline-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-throughline_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-throughline_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-throughline_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-throughline_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-throughline_2-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-throughline_2-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/919532786">"How We Vote – Throughline podcast"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/NPR" title="NPR">NPR</a></i>. 22 Oct 2020. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210212101157/https://www.npr.org/transcripts/919532786">Archived</a> from the original on 12 February 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">7 February</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=NPR&rft.atitle=How+We+Vote+%E2%80%93+Throughline+podcast&rft.date=2020-10-22&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2Ftranscripts%2F919532786&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-murray1993-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-murray1993_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMurray1993" class="citation book cs1">Murray, Oswyn (1993). <i>Early Greece</i> (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0674221321" title="Special:BookSources/978-0674221321"><bdi>978-0674221321</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Early+Greece&rft.place=Cambridge%2C+MA&rft.edition=2nd&rft.pub=Harvard+University+Press&rft.date=1993&rft.isbn=978-0674221321&rft.aulast=Murray&rft.aufirst=Oswyn&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-boegehold1963-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-boegehold1963_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-boegehold1963_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBoegehold1963" class="citation journal cs1">Boegehold, Alan L. (October 1963). "Toward a Study of Athenian Voting Procedure". <i>Hesperia</i>. <b>32</b> (4): 366–372. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F147360">10.2307/147360</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/147360">147360</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Hesperia&rft.atitle=Toward+a+Study+of+Athenian+Voting+Procedure&rft.volume=32&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=366-372&rft.date=1963-10&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F147360&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F147360%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Boegehold&rft.aufirst=Alan+L.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-hansen1983-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-hansen1983_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHansen1983" class="citation book cs1">Hansen, Mogens Herman (1983). <i>The Athenian Ecclesia : a collection of articles 1976–1983</i>. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press. p. 111. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788788073522" title="Special:BookSources/9788788073522"><bdi>9788788073522</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Athenian+Ecclesia+%3A+a+collection+of+articles+1976%E2%80%931983&rft.place=Copenhagen&rft.pages=111&rft.pub=Museum+Tusculanum+Press&rft.date=1983&rft.isbn=9788788073522&rft.aulast=Hansen&rft.aufirst=Mogens+Herman&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:1-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:1_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:1_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYakobson,_Alexander1995" class="citation journal cs1">Yakobson, Alexander (1995). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/4477105">"Secret Ballot and Its Effects in the Late Roman Republic"</a>. <i>Hermes</i>. <b>123</b> (4): 426–442. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4477105">4477105</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220503190247/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4477105">Archived</a> from the original on May 3, 2022<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 3,</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Hermes&rft.atitle=Secret+Ballot+and+Its+Effects+in+the+Late+Roman+Republic&rft.volume=123&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=426-442&rft.date=1995&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F4477105%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.au=Yakobson%2C+Alexander&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F4477105&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikisource-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/15px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/23px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/30px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></a></span> <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/fr:Constitution_du_22_ao%C3%BBt_1795" class="extiw" title="s:fr:Constitution du 22 août 1795">Full text</a> of the Constitution of the Year III on <a href="/wiki/Wikisource" title="Wikisource">Wikisource</a> <span class="languageicon">(in French)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Article 24. — Le suffrage est direct et universel. Le scrutin est secret</i>. <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/fr:Constitution_du_4_novembre_1848" class="extiw" title="s:fr:Constitution du 4 novembre 1848">s:fr:Constitution du 4 novembre 1848</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Pour être recevable, chaque vote doit être inscrit sur un papier blanc</i> : <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lection_pr%C3%A9sidentielle_fran%C3%A7aise_de_1848" class="extiw" title="fr:Élection présidentielle française de 1848">fr:Élection présidentielle française de 1848</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_10-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_10-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the picture captioned <i> Distribution des bulletins d'élections dans les rues. L'Illustration du 23 septembre 1848 on <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/suffrage_universel/suffrage-1848.asp">Assemblée Nationale website</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100820172726/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/suffrage_universel/suffrage-1848.asp">Archived</a> 2010-08-20 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Karl_Marx" title="Karl Marx">Karl Marx</a> <a href="/wiki/The_Eighteenth_Brumaire_of_Louis_Napoleon" class="mw-redirect" title="The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon">The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon</a> : "For the bourgeois and the shopkeeper had learned that in one of his decrees of December 2 Bonaparte had abolished the secret ballot and had ordered them to put a "yes" or "no" after their names on the official registers. The resistance of December 4 intimidated Bonaparte. During the night he had placards posted on all the street corners of Paris announcing the restoration of the secret ballot." <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/ch07.htm">Full text (chapter VII)</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101018134846/http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/ch07.htm">Archived</a> 2010-10-18 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNationale" class="citation web cs1">Nationale, Assemblée. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/suffrage_universel/suffrage-1870.asp#gauche">"Le suffrage universel – Histoire"</a>. <i>www.assemblee-nationale.fr</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140524022558/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/suffrage_universel/suffrage-1870.asp#gauche">Archived</a> from the original on 24 May 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.assemblee-nationale.fr&rft.atitle=Le+suffrage+universel+%E2%80%93+Histoire&rft.aulast=Nationale&rft.aufirst=Assembl%C3%A9e&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assemblee-nationale.fr%2Fhistoire%2Fsuffrage_universel%2Fsuffrage-1870.asp%23gauche&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">In the words of the <a href="/wiki/Petition" title="Petition">petition</a> that was published in 1838: <dl><dd><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.chartists.net/The-six-points.htm"><i>"The suffrage, to be exempt from the corruption of the wealthy and the violence of the powerful, must be secret."</i></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014747/http://www.chartists.net/The-six-points.htm">Archived</a> 2007-09-27 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></dd></dl> </span></li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Kinzer, Bruce (2004), "George Grote, the Philosophical Radical and Politician", <i>Brill's Companion to George Grote and the Classical Tradition</i>, London: Brill, pp. 16–45</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/WryVwsknTr-aa4IQ-ID9iQ">"BBC – A History of the World – Object : Pontefract's secret ballot box, 1872"</a>. <i>www.bbc.co.uk</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20191216105616/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/WryVwsknTr-aa4IQ-ID9iQ">Archived</a> from the original on 16 December 2019<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.bbc.co.uk&rft.atitle=BBC+%E2%80%93+A+History+of+the+World+%E2%80%93+Object+%3A+Pontefract%27s+secret+ballot+box%2C+1872&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fahistoryoftheworld%2Fobjects%2FWryVwsknTr-aa4IQ-ID9iQ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Blainey, G 2016, "The story of Australia's people: the rise and rise of a new Australia", Viking, Penguin Random House, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia, p.18.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Terry Newman, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mumble.com.au/enrollingthepeople/tasmania/newman_tasmania_and_secret_ballot.pdf">"Tasmania and the Secret Ballot"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150520135326/http://www.mumble.com.au/enrollingthepeople/tasmania/newman_tasmania_and_secret_ballot.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 2015-05-20<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-19</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Tasmania+and+the+Secret+Ballot&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mumble.com.au%2Fenrollingthepeople%2Ftasmania%2Fnewman_tasmania_and_secret_ballot.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(144 <a href="/wiki/Kibibyte" class="mw-redirect" title="Kibibyte">KiB</a>)</span> (2003), 49(1) <i>Aust J Pol & Hist 93</i>, accessed May 20, 2015</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-sdid-21.html">"Documenting Democracy"</a>. <i>foundingdocs.gov.au</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180403054535/https://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item-sdid-21.html">Archived</a> from the original on 3 April 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=foundingdocs.gov.au&rft.atitle=Documenting+Democracy&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ffoundingdocs.gov.au%2Fitem-sdid-21.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Eldon Cobb Evans, <i>A History of the Australian Ballot System in the United States#</i> (1917) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/ahistoryaustral00evangoog">online</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/webstersseventhn00unse#page/59/mode/1up"><i>Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary</i></a>. <a href="/wiki/Springfield,_Massachusetts" title="Springfield, Massachusetts">Springfield, Massachusetts</a>: G&C Merriam Company. 1967. p. 59.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Webster%27s+Seventh+New+Collegiate+Dictionary&rft.place=Springfield%2C+Massachusetts&rft.pages=59&rft.pub=G%26C+Merriam+Company&rft.date=1967&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fstream%2Fwebstersseventhn00unse%23page%2F59%2Fmode%2F1up&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-rcfp-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-rcfp_21-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.rcfp.org/open-government-sections/i-election-records/">"I. Election Records Archives"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220525220226/https://www.rcfp.org/open-government-sections/i-election-records/">Archived</a> from the original on May 25, 2022<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 3,</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=I.+Election+Records+Archives&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcfp.org%2Fopen-government-sections%2Fi-election-records%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-rcfpelect-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-rcfpelect_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.rcfp.org/resources/election-legal-guide/">"Reporters Committee Election Legal Guide | Updated 2020"</a>. <i>www.rcfp.org</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220427044101/https://www.rcfp.org/resources/election-legal-guide/">Archived</a> from the original on April 27, 2022<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 3,</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.rcfp.org&rft.atitle=Reporters+Committee+Election+Legal+Guide+%26%23124%3B+Updated+2020&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rcfp.org%2Fresources%2Felection-legal-guide%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">See 1922 Georgia session laws, chapter 530, p. 100.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/597">"18 U.S. Code § 597 – Expenditures to influence voting"</a>. <i>LII / Legal Information Institute</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180216030702/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/597">Archived</a> from the original on 16 February 2018<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=LII+%2F+Legal+Information+Institute&rft.atitle=18+U.S.+Code+%C2%A7+597+%E2%80%93+Expenditures+to+influence+voting&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.law.cornell.edu%2Fuscode%2Ftext%2F18%2F597&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWashington_Secretary_of_State" class="citation web cs1">Washington Secretary of State. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wei.sos.wa.gov/agency/osos/en/voters/Pages/vote_by_mail.aspx">"Vote by Mail in Washington State"</a>. State of Washington. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140427025441/https://wei.sos.wa.gov/agency/osos/en/voters/Pages/vote_by_mail.aspx">Archived</a> from the original on 27 April 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">27 April</span> 2014</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Vote+by+Mail+in+Washington+State&rft.pub=State+of+Washington&rft.au=Washington+Secretary+of+State&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwei.sos.wa.gov%2Fagency%2Fosos%2Fen%2Fvoters%2FPages%2Fvote_by_mail.aspx&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>See</i> W. Va. Const. Art. IV, §2, "In all elections by the people, the mode of voting shall be by ballot; but the voter shall be left free to vote by either open, sealed or secret ballot, as he may elect".</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights">"Universal Declaration of Human Rights"</a>. <i>www.un.org</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.un.org&rft.atitle=Universal+Declaration+of+Human+Rights&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.un.org%2Fen%2Fabout-us%2Funiversal-declaration-of-human-rights&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=3ae6b36510">American Convention on Human Rights, "Pact of San Jose", Costa Rica</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150211194551/http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=3ae6b36510">Archived</a> 2015-02-11 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, Organization of American States, Nov. 22, 1969.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/14304?download=true">Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150211184544/http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/14304?download=true">Archived</a> 2015-02-11 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, Copenhagen, June 29, 1990.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-30">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://eos.cartercenter.org/uploads/document_file/path/405/Convention_on_Electoral_Standards.pdf">Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150211183316/http://eos.cartercenter.org/uploads/document_file/path/405/Convention_on_Electoral_Standards.pdf">Archived</a> 2015-02-11 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, Oct. 7, 2002, Chisinau. Unofficial English translation provided by the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), Jan. 22, 2007.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMercurio2003" class="citation journal cs1">Mercurio, Bryan (2003). <span class="id-lock-subscription" title="Paid subscription required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/alterlj28&i=284">"Discrimination in Electoral Law"</a></span>. <i>Alternative Law Journal</i>. <b>28</b> (6): 272–276. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1037969X0302800603">10.1177/1037969X0302800603</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:147550553">147550553</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181011014010/https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/alterlj28&i=284">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-10-11<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-10-10</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Alternative+Law+Journal&rft.atitle=Discrimination+in+Electoral+Law&rft.volume=28&rft.issue=6&rft.pages=272-276&rft.date=2003&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1177%2F1037969X0302800603&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A147550553%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Mercurio&rft.aufirst=Bryan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fheinonline.org%2FHOL%2FP%3Fh%3Dhein.journals%2Falterlj28%26i%3D284&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-1051,00.html">"What happens to the voting slips used in British elections after they have been counted? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk"</a>. <i>www.theguardian.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170116075359/https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-1051,00.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2017-01-16<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-12-16</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.theguardian.com&rft.atitle=What+happens+to+the+voting+slips+used+in+British+elections+after+they+have+been+counted%3F+%26%23124%3B+Notes+and+Queries+%26%23124%3B+guardian.co.uk&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fnotesandqueries%2Fquery%2F0%2C%2C-1051%2C00.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081209142843/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0020/13259/Ballot-Secrecy-2006-12_23827-6127__E__N__S__W__.pdf">"Factsheet: Ballot secrecy"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0020/13259/Ballot-Secrecy-2006-12_23827-6127__E__N__S__W__.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 2008-12-09.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Factsheet%3A+Ballot+secrecy&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.electoralcommission.org.uk%2F__data%2Fassets%2Felectoral_commission_pdf_file%2F0020%2F13259%2FBallot-Secrecy-2006-12_23827-6127__E__N__S__W__.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(48 <a href="/wiki/KiB" class="mw-redirect" title="KiB">KiB</a>)</span> (2006), <a href="/wiki/Electoral_Commission_(United_Kingdom)" title="Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)">Electoral Commission of the United Kingdom</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/files/2020%20Election%20Administrators%20Manual.FINAL.pdf">"2020 Indiana Election Administrator's Manual"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>in.gov</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200119203651/https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/files/2020%20Election%20Administrators%20Manual.FINAL.pdf">Archived</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> from the original on 2020-01-19<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-03-02</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=in.gov&rft.atitle=2020+Indiana+Election+Administrator%27s+Manual&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.in.gov%2Fsos%2Felections%2Ffiles%2F2020%2520Election%2520Administrators%2520Manual.FINAL.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-35">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilkie2019" class="citation news cs1">Wilkie, Jordan (2019-07-11). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/11/north-carolina-voting-secret-ballot">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'A risk to democracy': North Carolina law may be violating secrecy of the ballot"</a>. <i>The Guardian</i>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077">0261-3077</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200302024800/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/11/north-carolina-voting-secret-ballot">Archived</a> from the original on 2020-03-02<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-03-02</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Guardian&rft.atitle=%27A+risk+to+democracy%27%3A+North+Carolina+law+may+be+violating+secrecy+of+the+ballot&rft.date=2019-07-11&rft.issn=0261-3077&rft.aulast=Wilkie&rft.aufirst=Jordan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2019%2Fjul%2F11%2Fnorth-carolina-voting-secret-ballot&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21601455/federal-judge-says-no-constitutional-right-secret-ballot">"Federal judge says no constitutional right to secret ballot in Boulder case"</a>. 21 September 2012. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082635/http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21601455/federal-judge-says-no-constitutional-right-secret-ballot">Archived</a> from the original on 4 March 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Federal+judge+says+no+constitutional+right+to+secret+ballot+in+Boulder+case&rft.date=2012-09-21&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.denverpost.com%2Fbreakingnews%2Fci_21601455%2Ffederal-judge-says-no-constitutional-right-secret-ballot&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Ben Smyth, A foundation for secret, verifiable elections, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ia.cr/2018/225">IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive</a>, 2018</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://val.se/att-rosta/var-rostar-jag/rosta-pa-valdagen.html">"Rösta på valdagen"</a>. <i>val.se</i> (in Swedish). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221205170748/https://www.val.se/att-rosta/var-rostar-jag/rosta-pa-valdagen.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2022-12-05<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-12-05</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=val.se&rft.atitle=R%C3%B6sta+p%C3%A5+valdagen&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fval.se%2Fatt-rosta%2Fvar-rostar-jag%2Frosta-pa-valdagen.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFElklit1988" class="citation book cs1">Elklit, Jørgen (1988). <i>Fra åben til hemmelig afstemning</i>. Århus, Denmark: Politica. pp. 299 ff.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Fra+%C3%A5ben+til+hemmelig+afstemning&rft.place=%C3%85rhus%2C+Denmark&rft.pages=299+ff&rft.pub=Politica&rft.date=1988&rft.aulast=Elklit&rft.aufirst=J%C3%B8rgen&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><i>Stjórnartíðindi</i> [<i>Legal Gazette</i>] (in Icelandic). Icelandic Government. 1902. pp. 273–275.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Stj%C3%B3rnart%C3%AD%C3%B0indi&rft.pages=273-275&rft.pub=Icelandic+Government&rft.date=1902&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><i>Alþingistíðindi</i> [<i>Parliamentary Gazette</i>] (in Icelandic). Alþingi. 1903. pp. 120–133.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Al%C3%BEingist%C3%AD%C3%B0indi&rft.pages=120-133&rft.pub=Al%C3%BEingi&rft.date=1903&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASecret+ballot" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikisource-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/15px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/23px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/30px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></a></span> Works related to <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_History_of_the_Australian_Ballot_System_in_the_United_States" class="extiw" title="wikisource:A History of the Australian Ballot System in the United States">A History of the Australian Ballot System in the United States</a> at Wikisource </p> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x000918290;view=1up;seq=73">The Ballot Bill [UK]</a> <a href="/wiki/The_Annual_Register" title="The Annual Register">The Annual Register</a>, 1872, p. 61.</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Privacy" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Privacy" title="Template:Privacy"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Privacy" title="Template talk:Privacy"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Privacy" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Privacy"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Privacy" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Privacy" title="Privacy">Privacy</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Principles</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Right_of_access_to_personal_data" title="Right of access to personal data">Right of access to personal data</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Expectation_of_privacy" class="mw-redirect" title="Expectation of privacy">Expectation of privacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right_to_privacy" title="Right to privacy">Right to privacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right_to_be_forgotten" title="Right to be forgotten">Right to be forgotten</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Post-mortem_privacy" title="Post-mortem privacy">Post-mortem privacy</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Privacy_law" title="Privacy law">Privacy laws</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_in_Australian_law" title="Privacy in Australian law">Australia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/General_Personal_Data_Protection_Law" title="General Personal Data Protection Law">Brazil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canadian_privacy_law" title="Canadian privacy law">Canada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_Information_Protection_Law_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China" title="Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China">China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_law_in_Denmark" title="Privacy law in Denmark">Denmark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_in_English_law" title="Privacy in English law">England</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation" title="General Data Protection Regulation">European Union</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bundesdatenschutzgesetz" title="Bundesdatenschutzgesetz">Germany</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_Protection_Act,_2012" title="Data Protection Act, 2012">Ghana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right_to_privacy_in_New_Zealand" title="Right to privacy in New Zealand">New Zealand</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_protection_(privacy)_laws_in_Russia" title="Data protection (privacy) laws in Russia">Russia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_Data_Protection_Act_2012_(Singapore)" class="mw-redirect" title="Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (Singapore)">Singapore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_Data_Protection_Act_(Sri_Lanka)" title="Personal Data Protection Act (Sri Lanka)">Sri Lanka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Data_Protection_and_Information_Commissioner" title="Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner">Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_laws_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Privacy laws of the United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_laws_of_the_United_States" title="Privacy laws of the United States">United States</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/California_Consumer_Privacy_Act" title="California Consumer Privacy Act">California</a>, <a href="/wiki/California_Privacy_Rights_Act" title="California Privacy Rights Act">amended in 2020</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/National_data_protection_authority" title="National data protection authority">Data protection authorities</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Office_of_the_Australian_Information_Commissioner" title="Office of the Australian Information Commissioner">Australia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Danish_Data_Protection_Agency" title="Danish Data Protection Agency">Denmark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/European_Data_Protection_Supervisor" title="European Data Protection Supervisor">European Union</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commission_nationale_de_l%27informatique_et_des_libert%C3%A9s" title="Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés">France</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Commissioner_for_Data_Protection_and_Freedom_of_Information" title="Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information">Germany</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_Protection_Board_of_India" title="Data Protection Board of India">India</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_Data_Protection_Authority_Institute" title="Personal Data Protection Authority Institute">Indonesia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_Protection_Commissioner" title="Data Protection Commissioner">Ireland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Office_of_the_Data_Protection_Supervisor" title="Office of the Data Protection Supervisor">Isle of Man</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dutch_Data_Protection_Authority" title="Dutch Data Protection Authority">Netherlands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Norwegian_Data_Protection_Authority" title="Norwegian Data Protection Authority">Norway</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Privacy_Commission" title="National Privacy Commission">Philippines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polish_Data_Protection_Commissioner" title="Polish Data Protection Commissioner">Poland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_Information_Protection_Commission_(South_Korea)" title="Personal Information Protection Commission (South Korea)">South Korea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spanish_Data_Protection_Agency" title="Spanish Data Protection Agency">Spain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swedish_Data_Protection_Authority" class="mw-redirect" title="Swedish Data Protection Authority">Sweden</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Data_Protection_and_Information_Commissioner" title="Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner">Switzerland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Office_of_the_Personal_Data_Protection_Committee" class="mw-redirect" title="Office of the Personal Data Protection Committee">Thailand</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Turkish_Data_Protection_Authority" title="Turkish Data Protection Authority">Turkey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Information_Commissioner%27s_Office" title="Information Commissioner's Office">United Kingdom</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Areas</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Consumer_privacy" title="Consumer privacy">Consumer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Digital_privacy" title="Digital privacy">Digital</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_in_education" title="Privacy in education">Education</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Medical_privacy" title="Medical privacy">Medical</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Workplace_privacy" title="Workplace privacy">Workplace</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Information_privacy" title="Information privacy">Information privacy</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Information_privacy_law" title="Information privacy law">Law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bank_secrecy" title="Bank secrecy">Financial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internet_privacy" title="Internet privacy">Internet</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_Facebook" title="Privacy concerns with Facebook">Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_concerns_regarding_Google" class="mw-redirect" title="Privacy concerns regarding Google">Google</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_Twitter" class="mw-redirect" title="Privacy concerns with Twitter">Twitter</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Email_privacy" title="Email privacy">Email</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_data" title="Personal data">Personal data</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_identifier" title="Personal identifier">Personal identifier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_services" title="Privacy concerns with social networking services">Social networking services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy-enhancing_technologies" title="Privacy-enhancing technologies">Privacy-enhancing technologies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_engineering" title="Privacy engineering">Privacy engineering</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy-invasive_software" title="Privacy-invasive software">Privacy-invasive software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_policy" title="Privacy policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_software" title="Privacy software">Privacy software</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Secret ballot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virtual_assistant_privacy" title="Virtual assistant privacy">Virtual assistant privacy</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Advocacy organizations</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/American_Civil_Liberties_Union" title="American Civil Liberties Union">American Civil Liberties Union</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Center_for_Democracy_and_Technology" title="Center for Democracy and Technology">Center for Democracy and Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Computer_Professionals_for_Social_Responsibility" title="Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility">Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_Privacy_Lab" title="Data Privacy Lab">Data Privacy Lab</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation" title="Electronic Frontier Foundation">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electronic_Privacy_Information_Center" title="Electronic Privacy Information Center">Electronic Privacy Information Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/European_Digital_Rights" title="European Digital Rights">European Digital Rights</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Future_of_Privacy_Forum" title="Future of Privacy Forum">Future of Privacy Forum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Global_Network_Initiative" title="Global Network Initiative">Global Network Initiative</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Association_of_Privacy_Professionals" title="International Association of Privacy Professionals">International Association of Privacy Professionals</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NOYB" title="NOYB">NOYB</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Privacy_International" title="Privacy International">Privacy International</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">See also</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anonymity" title="Anonymity">Anonymity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cellphone_surveillance" title="Cellphone surveillance">Cellphone surveillance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_security" title="Data security">Data security</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eavesdropping" title="Eavesdropping">Eavesdropping</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Global_surveillance" title="Global surveillance">Global surveillance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Identity_theft" title="Identity theft">Identity theft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mass_surveillance" title="Mass surveillance">Mass surveillance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Panopticon" title="Panopticon">Panopticon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/PRISM" title="PRISM">PRISM</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Search_warrant" title="Search warrant">Search warrant</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wiretapping" title="Wiretapping">Wiretapping</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_rights" title="Human rights">Human rights</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personality_rights" title="Personality rights">Personality rights</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Privacy" title="Category:Privacy">Category</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&oldid=1257818943">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&oldid=1257818943</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Elections" title="Category:Elections">Elections</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Secrecy" title="Category:Secrecy">Secrecy</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Ballots" title="Category:Ballots">Ballots</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_French-language_sources_(fr)" title="Category:Articles with French-language sources (fr)">Articles with French-language sources (fr)</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Webarchive_template_wayback_links" title="Category:Webarchive template wayback links">Webarchive template wayback links</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_Swedish-language_sources_(sv)" title="Category:CS1 Swedish-language sources (sv)">CS1 Swedish-language sources (sv)</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_Icelandic-language_sources_(is)" title="Category:CS1 Icelandic-language sources (is)">CS1 Icelandic-language sources (is)</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements" title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_November_2024" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from November 2024">Articles with unsourced statements from November 2024</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_articles_needing_page_number_citations_from_January_2021" title="Category:Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2021">Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2021</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_January_2021" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021">Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_needing_additional_references_from_April_2010" title="Category:Articles needing additional references from April 2010">Articles needing additional references from April 2010</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_needing_additional_references" title="Category:All articles needing additional references">All articles needing additional references</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_predictions_or_speculation" title="Category:Articles containing predictions or speculation">Articles containing predictions or speculation</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Danish-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Danish-language text">Articles containing Danish-language text</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 16 November 2024, at 20:09<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secret_ballot&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-694cf4987f-lkb2s","wgBackendResponseTime":155,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.882","walltime":"1.057","ppvisitednodes":{"value":3304,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":129009,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":7977,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":17,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":7,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":155182,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 903.835 1 -total"," 34.74% 313.959 1 Template:Reflist"," 20.45% 184.835 16 Template:Cite_web"," 16.75% 151.390 1 Template:Langx"," 14.91% 134.785 1 Template:Voting"," 14.19% 128.227 1 Template:Politics_series_sidebar"," 13.90% 125.640 1 Template:Sidebar_with_collapsible_lists"," 7.88% 71.265 1 Template:Short_description"," 6.51% 58.821 3 Template:Fix"," 5.07% 45.787 1 Template:Privacy"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.569","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":24185197,"limit":52428800},"limitreport-logs":"table#1 {\n [\"size\"] = \"tiny\",\n}\n"},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.codfw.main-6b7f745dd4-zfqsb","timestamp":"20241125143005","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Secret ballot","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Secret_ballot","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q337987","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q337987","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2004-02-21T00:01:16Z","dateModified":"2024-11-16T20:09:42Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/3\/30\/Luis_Guillermo_Sol%C3%ADs%2C_elecciones_abril_2014.jpg","headline":"voting style that makes each vote anonymous"}</script> </body> </html>