A secret ballot is implemented to free voters to choose candidates without fear of economic or social repercussions, but the extent to which the secrecy achieves this goal depends on whether people believe their choices are kept secret, rather than whether they actually are. Findings from a...

The act of voting is the fundamental building block of a functioning democracy, a necessary if insufficient component in the exercise of popular self-rule. Schoolchildren are taught, starting before even kindergarten, that voting is a sacred duty, a treasured privilege, and a high honor; when...