9 in 10 Favor Protections for Secret Ballots
February 23, 2009 by FCD Administrator
Filed under Current, Guest Articles
Guest Editorial | Poll Shows Voters Demand State Constitutional Protection of Secret Ballot Elections; Highest Support Among Union Households
Salt Lake City, UT – 9 out of 10 Utah voters want the state constitution to be amended to protect secret ballots, concluded a poll conducted by Wilson Research Strategies. This poll surveyed likely voters to assess attitudes toward the issue of voting by secret ballot and found that overwhelming support for secret ballots was strongest (up to 89%) among Union households.
Chris Wilson of Wilson Research Strategies noted that, “Voters in Utah strongly support any action confirming the right of secret ballot, indicating a firmly held belief by Utahans that democracy through secret ballot should extend from elections for public office to the workplace elections for employee representation. Union members offer even stronger support for the amendment than non-union members. This support demonstrates a deep-rooted favorability for the democratic process among Utahans of all backgrounds.”
“With support above 80%, Utahans take a unified and non-partisan approach as a strong majority of both Republicans and Democrats endorse the amendment. The amendment to guarantee secret ballot rights earns majority support from voters of both genders, all ages, Republicans, Democrats and Independents. Support this universal is rare and demands the attention of elected officials,” Wilson concluded.
“We knew that support for the secret ballot was high and that securing the right to a secret ballot in the UT state constitution had widespread support. 89% confirms what we’ve been telling legislators: attempting to take this right away from voters is political suicide. The unions have very clearly misread their membership and their continued for support for eliminating the secret ballot is seen as a crude, transparent power grab. Utah voters, especially union members, see right through it,” said Troy Walker, SOS Ballot’s UT coordinator.
SOS Ballot is a 501c4 organization dedicated to educating the American public on the continued need for a secret ballot wherever state or federal law requires elections. seeks to protect voters from intimidation and harassment by empowering them to vote whether they wish to have the right to a secret ballot guaranteed in their state constitution. SOS Ballot is currently conducting initiative or legislative campaigns in Arizona, Arkansas Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.
The secret ballot was used locally as an act of post-Civil war southern reconstruction, first as a way to impose a literacy requirement on newly freed slaves. The secret ballot also protected mostly black voters who faced physical intimidation, even lynching depending on how their vote was cast. Secret ballots were first used statewide in the Massachusetts governor’s race 1888 and nationally in 1892 to elect President Grover Cleveland.
Contact: Audrey Mullen or Dave Mohel at 703-548-1160
very interesting. It seems that most people know that privacy and freedom are closely linked.
Let freedom ring, The people have shown where they stand and now we will see if “Big Brother” listens
I used to have a Union job. I know the pressure that goes along with being a union member.
“Hey come over here a sec…. do you want a Free hot dog?…Do you realize what the union is providing for you? You want to pay your dues and become a full member don’t you?”
No thanks…keep your hot dog. Yes to secret ballots