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Secret ballot?


This post was published on Saturday 3 May 2008.

I voted in the local elections on Thursday.   Imagine my shock when I realised that the so-called ‘secret’ ballot is the exact opposite.   While my ballot paper doesn’t have my name written on, it may as well do.

I walked in, and gave my voter number, which was written down on a piece of paper, next to my ballot number.   I was given the corresponding ballot paper, and voted.   How in the world is that ‘secret’?!   I can understand they want to keep a record of who’s voted, but to record our individual voter number next to our ballot number means someone could identify exactly who everyone voted for.

I almost spoilt my ballot paper in protest - perhaps I will in future elections when faced with a choice of near-identical candidates who I know next to nothing about.

Surely democracy should be more exciting than this?   Is it just me?   I feel like we need to reform our political system completely, away from the party system.   The parties used to have major ideological differences.   Thanks to New Labour, and the move to the centre-right of all the major parties, they are all pretty much the same, except for the people in charge.

Perhaps we should go for a system where we vote for positions in government as well as local MPs.   I don’t know, but there must be a better way.   And while we’re at it, let’s make the ballot really secret, and not just pretend it is.