Secret Ballots

I recently heard a comment that stopped me dead in my tracks:

“Since when is the secret ballot a basic tenet of democracy?” – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa

My response:  What the…?!  I certainly hope Mr. Hoffa was quoted out of context because otherwise this statement ranks right up there with most of the quotes from former Vice President Dan Quayle.

We all know the score. It’s completely logical that the Teamsters are supporting the Employee Free Choice Act (aka EFCA) and most businesses should be opposed to EFCA.  But I get very concerned when I hear comments that derail the debate and discussion that our democratic form of government was founded on.

Of course, the secret ballot IS a basic tenet of democracy (which is exactly why there’s so much discussion about it right now).  Except for Mr. Hoffa, we all know this.  We vote for our city, county, state and federal officials via a secret ballot.

People can say whatever they want prior to voting and then they can tell the whole world how they voted…but in the end, the vote is a very private matter between an individual and their ballot.  And, there’s a reason for that. The secret ballot was designed to ensure that voters can cast their decision without any attempts of intimidation or coercion.

The argument isn’t whether or not the secret ballot is a basic tenet.  It is.  Move on.  The argument is about the pros/cons of using a secret ballot in the context of union organizing.

Personally, I’m a little surprised that the legislators supporting this bill are willing to take away the secret ballot in the workplace when it’s the thing that got them elected into office.  Sounds pretty hypocritical.  But I’ll save that for another post.

Image by joebeone

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