3 ms·

Ballots are tricky. In the US, You want to ensure anonymity while also ensuring the voters franchise is not threatened. If we want them to be uniquely identif

Ballots are tricky. In the US, You want to ensure anonymity while also ensuring the voters franchise is not threatened. If we want them to be uniquely identifiable, then we don’t need to hide the identifier. If we don’t want them to be uniquely identifiable, then hiding the identifiable ID becomes a violation of the voters privacy.

beebeepka 5y ago
I thought the US has something called voting registration and it's public. How does that ensure anonymity?
- cr1895 5y ago
  Voter registration is not linked to how one votes.
- hoppyhoppy2 5y ago
  You can register as a Democrat and participate in the primaries for the Democratic candidate but (thanks to the secret ballot) vote for Republicans in the final election. Or vice-versa. And nobody other than you will ever know how you (as an individual) actually voted. Or you can register as an independent if you prefer. The rules vary by state, but the worst that happens is you can't participate in the primaries (but can absolutely vote in the final election). Who you, as an individual, voted for is still not traceable back to you. In other words, it's your right, thanks to the secret ballot, to vote completely differently from the party you registered under or even differently from how everyone in your life perceives you, and nobody will ever know. There are people who changed their mind years ago about what party they support and have been voting that way ever since, but just haven't gotten around to (or don't care enough to) update the party they listed on their voter registration.
  - ThinkingGuy 5y ago
    Some states, such as Georgia, don't have party registration at all. You're not a "registered Republican/Democract," just "registered." Any registered voter can choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary (unsurprisingly, this "open primary" system was originally implemented in order to supress the Black vote).
- nebula8804 5y ago
  It does not reveal who you vote for. A traceable ballot that has been cast can reveal this info.
- barsonme 5y ago
  That doesn’t mean your physical ballot can be traced back to you, however. Your vote is secret, the fact that you’ve registered isn’t.
willis936 5y ago
This begs the question of how the secret dots aren't a blanket violation of the 4th amendment. Also IANAL but I feel like there must be some law about deception of this kind. Selling a product that does something you don't expect it to, were never told about, and would not reasonably even observe feels somehow like fraud.

beebeepka 5y ago

I thought the US has something called voting registration and it's public. How does that ensure anonymity?

cr1895 5y ago
Voter registration is not linked to how one votes.
hoppyhoppy2 5y ago
You can register as a Democrat and participate in the primaries for the Democratic candidate but (thanks to the secret ballot) vote for Republicans in the final election. Or vice-versa. And nobody other than you will ever know how you (as an individual) actually voted. Or you can register as an independent if you prefer. The rules vary by state, but the worst that happens is you can't participate in the primaries (but can absolutely vote in the final election). Who you, as an individual, voted for is still not traceable back to you. In other words, it's your right, thanks to the secret ballot, to vote completely differently from the party you registered under or even differently from how everyone in your life perceives you, and nobody will ever know. There are people who changed their mind years ago about what party they support and have been voting that way ever since, but just haven't gotten around to (or don't care enough to) update the party they listed on their voter registration.
- ThinkingGuy 5y ago
  Some states, such as Georgia, don't have party registration at all. You're not a "registered Republican/Democract," just "registered." Any registered voter can choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary (unsurprisingly, this "open primary" system was originally implemented in order to supress the Black vote).
nebula8804 5y ago
It does not reveal who you vote for. A traceable ballot that has been cast can reveal this info.
barsonme 5y ago
That doesn’t mean your physical ballot can be traced back to you, however. Your vote is secret, the fact that you’ve registered isn’t.

willis936 5y ago

This begs the question of how the secret dots aren't a blanket violation of the 4th amendment. Also IANAL but I feel like there must be some law about deception of this kind. Selling a product that does something you don't expect it to, were never told about, and would not reasonably even observe feels somehow like fraud.