Regarding the Secret Ballot

| September 21, 2020

Tomorrow is the First Day of Autumn 2020. Normally, we think about such mundane things as migrating flocks heading south and finding time to hunt the local deer.  And before long, it will be winter, and ice fishing will be starting up.

This is in regard to the secret ballot:   https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/secrecy-of-the-ballot-and-ballot-selfies.aspx

While personal choices in voting are held to be private and in some states, it is illegal to ask someone who s/he/it voted for, there are so many nosy reporters around and so many damned fools posting selfies of themselves online with their completed ballot, that the “secret” thing went out the window a long time ago. Selfies at the voting booth are considered covered by the First Amendment section regarding free speech, therefore, the selfie with ballot at the voting booth is covered.

Is the secret ballot a law? That depends on where you are when you vote. Some states have discarded the “secret” part and others have retained it.

If you vote in person instead of by mail, you are under no obligation to speak to anyone upon exiting the polls.  However, if some nosy reporter shows up at your polling place with a TV channel van and a microphone, you are under no obligation – zero, nada, rien, ????, keine – obligation to say anything more than ‘None of your beeswax’, and walk away. You could possibly make nosy reporters run away by telling them you feel nauseous and you’re about to barf, then watch them scatter.

I suggest carrying some pepper spray, just in case you run into the feral types that hide in the bushes and jump out with a microphone and TV camera person.

And besides, in this age of “everyone’s on TV now” and “we will find you and hunt you down”, answering such a stupid question may be a threat to your welfare and security.

If I have to carry a spray bottle of 409 with me to chase pests away from my immediate area, I will do so, but it’s pretty quiet around here and the polling place is at our town hall, which is right next door to the police station. It’s nice to live in a small, quiet town, on an out-of-the-way street. Life is still civilized where I live… for now, at least.

I’m thinking of this fussing as a precursor to Hallowe’en and I might just dress up in a Plague Doctor get-up: bird beak mask, hat, black cape, black clothes and gloves – all of it – and go vote that way.

Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", "Your Tax Dollars At Work", 2020 Election

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AW1Ed

Here’s a visual of Ex’s costume. Scares me!

plague doc

11B-Mailclerk

Spy vs Spy?

11B-Mailclerk

Nah. That is Black Spy wearing White Spy’s mask.

MAD Magazine classics.

5th/77th FA

Maybe like this example? I think they shouldn’t even discuss the voting until ALL of the polls close. I just shake my head when the National Talking heads come on at 7pm Eastern time with less than 1% reporting making a prediction of whose is gonna win.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Great costume Ex, love that leather, so hey hey good lookin whatch ya got cooking, so how about cooking something up with me, hey sweet baby don’t ya think maybe we could start us a brand new recipe, I got a hot rod ford and a two dollar bill and I know a spot right over the hill, theirs soda pop and the dancin’s free so if you want to have fun come along with me.

OWB

That is the sort of mask we should be wearing!

DocV

Don’t forget fall heralds the return of pumpkin spice coffee!

Commissioner Wretched

You mentioned ice fishing, Ex … last year my brother went ice fishing. Brought back 200 pounds.

Flooded the kitchen trying to cook it.

ChipNASA

When politics comes up, I go here…
This is from 2015 but I’m voting for him again, (not really, of course.)

11B-Mailclerk

Comrade! Why are you opening your ballot?

I want to see for whom I vote, comrade.

Don’t be a fool, comrade! This is a secret ballot!