secret ballot
Private voting method
A secret ballot is a voting method where individual choices remain confidential—no one can see how you voted.
The system protects voters from coercion or retaliation: The union election was conducted by secret ballot.
Secret ballots are standard in modern democracies, distinguishing private voting from public shows of hands or voice votes.
Enclosed space for marking ballots
- polling stationElection day venue
- voting slipPaper recording electoral choice
- envelopeFolded paper enclosure
- castPerformers, throw, or splint
count · tally · scrutineer · electoral roll · voter registration · precinct · marking · folding
Of unknown origin
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- privateRestricted to certain parties
- undisclosedNot made known
- concealedMade invisible deliberately
hidden · untraceable · nameless · unmarked · veiled · incognito · unidentified · confidentiality
Organized public voting
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- voting rightsEntitlement to elect officials
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
representative · republic · parliament · legislature · governance · citizenship · self-determination · sovereignty
Concealment of electoral choices
- intimidationDeliberate fear-inducing pressure
- undue influenceImproper pressure overriding autonomy
- freedomAbsence of constraint
- independenceFreedom from external control
conscience · personal choice · autonomy · security · safe · unmonitored · unobserved · individual liberty
Just and equal treatment
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
- neutralityState of taking sides
- unbiasedFree from prejudice
- nonpartisanNot aligned politically
transparency · accountability · legitimacy · trust · anti-corruption · observer · monitoring · safeguard
polling booth
Enclosed space for marking ballots
- polling stationElection day venue
- voting slipPaper recording electoral choice
- envelopeFolded paper enclosure
cast · count · tally · scrutineer · electoral roll · voter registration · precinct · marking · folding · depositing
anonymous
Of unknown origin
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- privateRestricted to certain parties
- undisclosedNot made known
concealed · hidden · untraceable · nameless · unmarked · veiled · incognito · unidentified · confidentiality · discretion
election
Organized public voting
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- voting rightsEntitlement to elect officials
- franchiseLicensed business operation
civic duty · representative · republic · parliament · legislature · governance · citizenship · self-determination · sovereignty · popular vote
voter privacy
Concealment of electoral choices
- intimidationDeliberate fear-inducing pressure
- undue influenceImproper pressure overriding autonomy
- freedomAbsence of constraint
independence · conscience · personal choice · autonomy · security · safe · unmonitored · unobserved · individual liberty
fairness
Just and equal treatment
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
- neutralityState of taking sides
- unbiasedFree from prejudice
nonpartisan · transparency · accountability · legitimacy · trust · anti-corruption · observer · monitoring · safeguard · tamper-proof
- governance reformsconstitutional convention, constitutional court, amendment process, bill of rights, checks and balances
- Progressive EraTheodore Roosevelt, progressivism, Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt, trust busting
- Chartismsix points, universal suffrage, physical force
- Swiss politicsdirect democracy, cantons, referendums, initiatives, popular vote
- electionsballots, voter registration, candidates, polls, election day
- votingvote, voters, ballots, voter, polls
secret ballotpublic vote
show of hands · roll call vote · voice vote · viva voce · standing vote
secret, ballot, secretly, secrecy, secretive, secrets, secretion, secrete, secreted