> Yes, people: the secret ballot is an important part of democracy, and this has nothing to do with that.
After downloading the VoteWithMe app, I call major bullshit on this. The app shows big "Rs" or "Ds" next to folks based on whether they voted in a Democratic or Replublican primary. I do of course realize this was not private information previously, but when the vast majority of viable candidates are from one of the too major parties, that big R or D would seem to take a huge part of the "secret" out of the secret ballot.
You genuinely feel that registering with a party so you can vote in its primary elections is... a violation of the idea of a secret ballot?
I'll just come out and say it: people who have problems with this aren't worried about the sanctity of elections at all. They're personally worried about being outed to their friends as holding political beliefs other than those they present to their peer group. If you don't want people to know you're a republican, change your registration.
"They're personally worried about being outed to their friends as holding political beliefs other "
Let's change the scenario a bit to make you uncomfortable with your proto-fascism:
- Imagine a pro-civil rights Southerner in 1950s having their GOP party affiliation available at a swipe.
- Or a gay person in the Bible Belt today.
See its not just coastal elites that would badger and harass others.
Frankly, I feel quite fortunate that, as a non-citizen, I cannot vote and therefore I don't have to justify not participating (I do not believe in the farce that are your elections). But this dangerous app and the bigoted attitude towards others from ppl like you could cause some grief for my wife (who votes and is a registered Dem, btw)
> You genuinely feel that registering with a party so you can vote in its primary elections is... a violation of the idea of a secret ballot?
Yes, especially since there's no reason to require it. In Missouri, where I'm from, there is no party registration. They ask you at the polls if you want a Republican ticket or a Democratic one. No record of your choice is kept.
While it's true that you could construct an epistemological and philosophical argument that party registration doesn't reveal votes, everybody knows, in a practical sense, that that's exactly what it does.
A decent number of people vote in the opposing party’s primaries, either because the general election is a foregone conclusion and it’s the only way they’ll have any real input, or to vote for the worst candidate in order to give their own party a better chance.
I think that requiring people to declare an affiliation ahead of time is bad. And making it completely secret might be a decent goal. But recording which primary you voted in seems fine too.
By one account, something like 5% of voters engage in "crossover voting" for the first reason you gave ("it’s the only way they’ll have any real input") and almost nobody for the latter reason ("to vote for the worst candidate in order to give their own party a better chance").
If you see a D or an R next to somebody's name in this app, then you know who they voted for with pretty high confidence.
I admit to having done both types of crossover voting. I personaly loathe the party system and those that perpetuate it. I have zero alegiance to any 'party', as they have similar feelings toward me. Its like sports favoritism, except with very real consequences. Partisanship makes me sick and deeply ashamed for those involved.
Maybe not. But a twist on gerrymandering (i.e., manipulation of the market)? Yes. Absolutely.
A collusion by the two ruling parties to corner the market in a cartel-ish sort of way? Yes again.
Sure, it's been normalized, but that doesn't make it healthy.
If we truly want more and more diverse voices to be heard then we must be willing to address the system(s) that in one way or another prevent that from happening (i.e., maintain the status quo).
Your particular peer group is causing you to see this as a distinction.
If you want to vote in the Democratic primary in Indiana, and your family are born-again Trump Republicans who would be happy to ostracize for being a registered Democrat, you're having exactly the same problem.
There's little difference in my mind between saying "if you don't want everybody you know or do business with to know you're a Democrat, you shouldn't vote in the primaries" and "if you don't want everyone knowing you voted for Obama, you shouldn't vote!"
After downloading the VoteWithMe app, I call major bullshit on this. The app shows big "Rs" or "Ds" next to folks based on whether they voted in a Democratic or Replublican primary. I do of course realize this was not private information previously, but when the vast majority of viable candidates are from one of the too major parties, that big R or D would seem to take a huge part of the "secret" out of the secret ballot.