Social and Psychological Dimensions of Ballot Secrecy

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

Political scientists and other observers often assume that contemporary legal protections for ballot secrecy are sufficient to ensure that voters consider their vote a private act. If this is the case, then voting decisions should be driven exclusively by individuals? evaluations of the candidates. Put simply, people will vote for the candidate that they, personally, prefer. However, a pilot study found that, legal protections notwithstanding, the assumption that voters believe their voting decision is private appears to be flawed. Preliminary results indicate that a substantial segment of the American public has serious doubts about whether the legal protections of the secret ballot actually succeed in keeping the choices they make in the voting booth truly confidential. A large portion of the public discusses their choices with others and/or feels social pressure to reveal how they voted. If a voter anticipates she is likely to reveal her choices to others, her choice in the voting booth will be influenced by how she anticipates others will respond to her selection, thereby introducing social pressures related to group memberships or the political affinities common in the voter?s social environment. The project allows us to better understand the causes and consequences of beliefs about ballot secrecy by conducting a larger and more comprehensive study of voter beliefs. Pilot work suggests that doubts about ballot secrecy are more prevalent among members of minority groups (even after accounting for income, age, and education). This is noteworthy for several reasons. It is possible that concerns about ballot secrecy undermine confidence in the legitimacy of elections and thereby discourage participation. Further, concerns about secrecy may result in some segments of the population feeling greater social pressures associated with voting choices. These social influences may depress turnout or alter vote choices among these groups, shaping the electoral process in ways that have not been considered in previous research. The impact of institutional factors (e.g., registration rules) on perceptions about ballot secrecy are examined. Understanding how institutional rules and procedures affect beliefs about ballot secrecy is of particular concern if one wishes to design electoral institutions or public education campaigns to make (potential) voters aware of the legal protections present for ballot secrecy. Although some work has examined how institutional factors affect beliefs about whether or not one?s vote will be properly counted (e.g., Alvarez, Hall, and Llewellyn 2008), no research documenting or measuring the effects of particular reforms (e.g., election monitors or voting-by-mail) on perceptions of ballot secrecy have been conducted.