The secret ballot

In NZ, we have an almost-secret ballot. Generally no one knows who you vote for, but there is a way of finding out, if a court ordered it.

Each ballot paper has a serial number on it. On the matching “butt” is recorded the page and line number from the printed electoral roll of the voter it was issued to. And if one has the printed roll for that election, then it reveals the name of the voter.

These records are all kept securely, and only if a court orders it, are votes revealed. This will generally only be for cases of double voting or if votes are disqualified.

Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn blogs about how there have been concerns in Samoa about the secrecy of theur ballot. Their chief electoral officer gave this example of why one might want to find out how someone voted:

[Tanuvasa] described a scenario where a court may order the Electoral office to find out who a person has voted for. “A candidate can go to court and say he has lost a fortune because people have said they have voted for me and I have given them money over the years. The candidate assumes that the people did not vote for him.

“How can you trace something like that that is so devastating on a person [candidate], the court can then order us to look into the votes in the presence of officials.”

I/S points out what this example is:

Yes, that’s right: Samoa’s chief electoral official thinks its acceptable and legal to examine ballot papers to see if corrupt candidates are getting what they pay for when they illegally bribe voters

That’s a stunningly bad statement for anyone to make, let alone the chief electoral official.