What Are Secret Ballot Elections for Unions?

A ‘secret ballot’ is a voting method used for elections in which the voter’s identity remains anonymous to allow for political policy. This anonymity is to protect voters from any means of unfair voter influencing, threats, blackmail, scare tactics, or external attempts of bribery or coercion. 

There are many different ways of carrying out secret ballot elections, but the most common approach involves utilizing blank sheets of paper on which voters privately write down the name of their chosen candidate. The sheet is then folded in half and placed in a sealed ballot box, making it impossible to determine who voted for what/whom when the container is later emptied for counting. Some secret ballot elections also employ private voting booths, allowing union members to cast their votes secretly without the fear of being observed or revealing who they are voting for. 

While secret ballot voting stemmed from the simple blank-paper method, unions today utilize this democratic way of elections in a myriad of ways. Many unions use procedures like printing ballots with empty checkboxes next to each candidate’s name or voting using machines, mail, or online union voting platforms like ElectionBuddy. 

The History of the Secret Ballot

Secret ballot voting has a compelling history. Elections before the secret ballot used to be rowdy, dangerous, and theatrical affairs conducted before hundreds of spectators, which afforded voters no privacy and arguably no freedom in exerting their choice. 

The election gatherings became so rowdy and violent that it was not uncommon for people to become heavily injured during the process. This means electors had to be exceedingly careful who they were seen voting for. 

After several decades of oppression and heightened tensions, voting rights began to change in the late 1840s, and secret ballot voting came into the picture. Before the secret ballot became popular in America and Europe, it was first employed by Australians in 1856. Australia’s elections also used to be dangerous affairs, provoking dangerous riots and rage from citizens until the secret voting method was suggested as an alternative. 

From then on, secret ballot voting quickly took off and proved successful in countries all over the globe. 

How Secret Is Secret Ballot Voting?

There are four possible levels of ballot secrecy that unions can establish. There are: 

1. Untraceable voting: This is the strongest level of secrecy, in which no one can know the voter’s recorded vote, even the voter themselves. However, this type of voting can cause issues regarding accuracy in vote counting and ensuring all votes are correctly recorded in the tally. 
2. Anonymous voting: With this, a voter’s recorded vote is visible to them but not to others.
3. Private voting: Here, the voter can keep their recorded vote a secret but choose to both know and reveal their vote to others. Voting is private but not anonymous; for instance, there can be a public listing of votes that union members can verify. 
4. Confidential voting: With this, the voter can keep their recorded vote a secret from fellow union members, but they are visible to certain officials or union leadership. This method makes it possible to audit secret ballot elections and satisfy the principle of legitimacy in that all recorded votes are legitimately cast. 

The primary reason for the introduction of secret ballot voting was to prevent coercion by political parties and leaders to ensure their party supporters do not deviate from the party line. Secret ballots are greatly useful in eliminating extrinsic incentives (such as vote selling, official favors, or corruption and bribery within the union) from the voting process and for the reduction of false misvoting claims. 

In the age of electronic voting for unions, however, many conditions that gave birth to ballot secrecy are no longer present. For instance, ballots are now standardized for all voters, and it is ensured that union leadership does not exert undue power and influence to sway member votes at election times. 

Additionally, electronic voting for union elections–such as what ElectionBuddy offers–has added another layer of advantages to secret ballot elections. It is now easier than ever to choose between a variety of decision procedures, and there is better and more accurate tallying and greater accessibility for disabled voters and members of the union. 

Wondering how union votes work or what a strike authorization vote entails? Take a look at our latest articles!