The Secret Ballot Is Trump’s Secret Weapon by David Catron

[mystery-ak]

 The Secret Ballot Is Trump’s Secret Weapon

This surprisingly new innovation protects the “shy Trump voter” from genuine suppression.

by David Catron
November 3, 2020, 12:41 AM

Americans take for granted that, when we step into the voting booth and cast our ballots, the choices we make will remain secret unless we voluntarily reveal them. Moreover, regardless of ideological bent, very few voters would approve of any attempt to lift that veil of privacy from the process. Yet the secret ballot was essentially unheard of in the United States until the mid-19th century, and it wasn’t adopted throughout the country until the 1890s. Before then, elections were conducted by voice or by color-coded tickets. The “shy Trump voter” could never survive in such an electoral environment. Thus, it’s unlikely that Trump could have been elected in 2016.

The primary value of the secret ballot is that it enables us to lie about which buttons we actually push when we step into that voting booth. Millions of voters have long since learned to conceal their political views from friends, family members, and co-workers to avoid unnecessary strain on important relationships. Since 2016, coming out as a conservative or a Republican can cause family rifts, social ostracism, and even problems at work. Admitting that one is actually a Trump voter can literally lead to a physical assault. Inevitably, the secret ballot has come under attack from the Left. Shortly after Trump was elected, the Washington Post published the following:

While the benefits of the secret ballot seem increasingly paltry, the new dangers that it poses may have begun to outweigh its merits. One of the most alarming things about the recent elections is the fact that a large number of voters apparently lied, not only to pollsters but to their families and friends, about supporting Trump.… Voicing your opinion publicly was, until the advent of the secret ballot, an integral and natural part of political life. Visibility led to accountability, and everyone knew where you stood on the issues, if only because you often had to actually stand behind them.

more
https://spectator.org/secret-ballot-vote-trump/

[Slide Rule]

Don't you believe it.

The Secret Ballot does shield from harassment but that is about it.

I am at no loss to speak my mind. Though when I'm in the hood I choose my words with care.
Ya. I play in pool leagues, and was captain for a team in the hood. Shooting there 2 years back.

I speak in my neighborhood directly and encourage others to state their mind.
I am a member and former officer of a Republican Club and also attend Tea Party meetings.
It turns out there are fewer rinos at a Tea Party meeting.

I encourage everyone to speak their mind to people they know. I have been doing it for a
long time so it's probably too late to change.

I do recommend not saying directly or indirectly your political nor religious thoughts
to persons unknown. Ya know. a pollster or punching a ballot on a website.

Let them work for their lies.

For religious and political freedom, speak up. Participate.