About a year ago the conservative US columnist George Will wrote a column about how in the early days in the US citizens would go to the polls and openly and publicly declare how they would vote. Will thought this was great and urged readoption of it.
Anyway, let me just remind folks of how things were done not all that long ago in the good old USSR (nostalgia! huzzah!). Everyone had to vote. You could either vote "yes" (for the one candidate) or "no." If you voted yes, you put your ballot in a box under a statue of Lenin and could then go over to the table where you were greeted with smiles from the lovely Party women who would then provide you with wonderful refreshments. If you voted no you put your ballot in another box and received a nice set of frowns.
So, is this the way to go? (At least in Will's case there was more than one candidate to vote for.) Barkley Rosser -----Original Message----- From: Michael Hoover <hoov at freenet.tlh.fl.us> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 1:45 PM Subject: Re: Democracy and socialism
>> I don't say that we should abolish free elections
>> & secret ballots, for they might be useful depending on occasions,
>> but I think that we have to reject the _mystique_ associated with
>> "free elections" and "secret ballots." "Free elections" & "secret
>> ballots" don't necessarily make things better for the working class &
>> sometimes they make things worse (see examples in my original post).
>> Yoshie
>
>In theory, 'secret ballots' (formally known as Australian ballots where
>they were first used in late 1880s/early 1890s) make for 'free elections'
>because they reduce/eliminate pressure exerted upon voters casting
>public vote. Proponents cited threats of retaliation coercing voters
>into choosing against their choice of candidates.
>
>Prior to adoption, parties prepared different colored tickets (hence,
>term 'straight ticket' voting) and passed them out to voters at polls.
>Effect of Australian ballot - in concert with turn-of-20th century
>'reforms' such as voter registration, nonpartisan elections, at-large
>election, 'reforms' - was reduced immigrant, working class, less-
>formally educated voter turnout.
>
>Under changed electoral system, first-generation non-English speaking
>immigrants (who comprised 2/3rds of US industrial proletariat in
>early 20th century) had to register to vote in writing, usually months
>prior to election, and were confronted at polls with printed ballot
>they might not be able to read.
>
>In South, racist motive existed for adopting 'secret ballot' as popular
>Democratic Party campaign song of time indicates:
>The Australian ballot works like a charm
>It makes them think and scratch
>And when a Negro gets a ballot
>He has certainly met his match
>
>Adoption of 'secret ballot' placed ballot preparation in hands of
>government. Ballot format is significant matter (or should be).
>*Office-block* (Massachusetts) ballot groups candidates together
>under offices they seek. *Party-column* (Indiana) ballot arranges
>candidates names in one column based on party affiliation. Former,
>used in about half of US states, deemphasizes party affiliation,
>discourages 'straight ticket' voting, and is associated with lower
>voter (smaller working class) turnout. Michael Hoover
>