J. J. McCullough of Vancouver, British Columbia, has created this entertaining 18-minute you tube about the history of U.S. ballots. It has some fresh ideas, especially at the end.
There is one very small factual error. It says every state had started using government-printed ballots by the 1910’s, but actually Georgia didn’t start until 1922, and South Carolina didn’t start until 1950. Thanks to Jack Ross for the link.
PRIVATE PRINTED BALLOTS STARTED WHEN – IN USA OR ELSEWHERE ???
Printed ballots are a Terrible idea. Election should be in person, with elite men physically standing in a party corner one evening per year and property (women, children, animals, nonsentient property except clothes and vehicle needed for election) and servants at home. The voters pick a winning party until the next election. The winning party picks peace officers until the next election. Poll taxes pay peace officers.
1829 see Henshaw v. Foster in Massachusetts, where the state supreme court upheld the use of machine-printed ballots.
Censorship of ballots with government printing the names of some candidates and excluding others needs to stop. This censorship is called ballot access laws. The government can print a content neutral ballot. It would have only blank lines for the voter, with assistance if necessary, to write in the names of the candidates the voter freely and authentically chooses. However, that is not enough. The uncensored ballot must also be voter verifiable with the voter being able to disclose or prove to anyone for whom they actually voted. This can be accomplished with the Chaum Encrypted Secret Ballot Receipt. This new ballot with these features is what I have called the Liberty Ballot. Or the trust but verify that what you said is what you get ballot.
Such a ballot cannot be skewed to favor Libertarians or any political party. It restores ownership of ballot content to the voter regardless of who supplies the medium. Consider government printing of a voter verifiable content neutral ballot simply a rebate of your stolen property.
@Max,
Voters should have to walk to the meeting, preferably uphill both ways.
Voters should testify in the traditional manner as to their choice.
ANY BALLOTS FOR OVERSEAS VOTERS DEFENDING THE USA / WESTERN CIVILIZATION ???
TOO MANY NEW AGE EXTREMIST ELITIST MONARCH/OLIGARCH ELECTION LAW FOLKS TO COUNT ???
HISTORY NOTE —
EARLY 1840S – LITTLE RI – LAST STATE WITH NOOO STATE CONST.
OLIGARCH DEFINITION OF ELECTOR AND EXTREME GERRYMANDER FOR STATE LEGISLATURE.
DORR’S WAR – LOCAL RI REVOLUTION >>> 1844 RHODE ISLAND STATE CONST – *LIBERAL* DEFINITION OF ELECTOR – REQUIRED LESS GERRYMANDERS.
ONE MORE SET UP EVENT FOR MASS DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN 1861-1865.
Richard, thanks for sharing.
I’ve only lived in states that have party rows on the ballot. Apparently that’s unusual!
I’ve heard that some states in the US don’t count write-in votes, or don’t provide spaces on their ballots to write in / type in / sticker / stamp names. That doesn’t seem good to me.
@DFR
You mentioned ballots where the voter can prove to others who they voted for. Are you concerned about the possibility of rewards for voting a certain way?
AC-
ALL SORTS OF 14-2 AMDT VIOLATIONS.
BAAACK TO OLDE ROTTEN DAYS OF THREATS AND BRIBES FOR VOTING OR NOT VOTING – ISSUES AND OFFICES.
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PR
APPV
TOTSOP
So do you also think legislators vote anonymously so they don’t get threats and bribes for whether or how they vote on legislation? No? Why not?
What makes people different when they vote on legislation in the form of initiatives than when legislators vote, that one should be anonymous but one shouldn’t? Or when they vote on the legislators who vote on that legislation?
Why should anyone with power over my life, including those voting on initiatives and legislators, get to vote anonymously? Power without accountability is dangerous.