94 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "Everyone shall have the right and opportunity and in the state of which he is a citizen (b) to vote and to be elected at elections held on the basis of universal and equal suffrage by secret ballot, that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters."
- "The High Contracting Parties undertake to hold free elections at reasonable intervals by secret ballot, under conditions which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of the people in the choice of the legislature."
- "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."
- "Every citizen shall enjoy the following rights: b. to vote and to be elected in genuine periodic elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot that guarantees the free expression of the will of the voters."
- "Essential elements of representative democracy include, inter alia, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, access to and the exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law, the holding of periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people, the pluralistic system of political parties and organizations, and the separation of powers and independence of the branches of government."
- "Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation, and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate;"
- "1. The Parties hereto proceed from the assumption that observance of the principle of secret balloting means exclusion of any control over voters’ expression of will, provision for equal conditions for free choice. 2. The citizens’ right to a secret balloting cannot be limited in any way and by whatsoever. 3. Conducting of elections shall be executed with the use of secret balloting procedure. 4. Electoral bodies are obliged to assure observance of the conditions stipulated by the Constitution, law, other legal acts that exclude the possibility to exert any control or monitoring over filling in the voting paper by the voter in the place of a secret balloting, performance of any actions violating the principle of voter’s secret will expression."
- "To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating states will: (7.4) ensure that votes are cast by secret ballot or by equivalent free voting procedure, and that they are counted and reported honestly with the official results made public."
- "The right to vote in secret is absolute and shall not be restricted in any manner whatsoever."
- "Voting procedures [should] guarantee secrecy of the ballot."
- "The right of eligible individuals to vote unimpeded and the right to vote in secrecy in a ballot box should be protected and enshrined in the constitutions of the SADC countries."
- "States should take measures to guarantee the requirement of the secrecy of the vote during elections, including absentee voting, where such a system exists. This implies that voters should be protected from any form of coercion or compulsion to disclose how they intend to vote or how they voted, and from any unlawful or arbitrary interference with the voting process... The security of ballot boxes must be guaranteed and votes should be counted in the presence of the candidates or their agents."
- "Appropriate steps should be taken to ensure the secrecy of the ballot, which is one of the most important single features in the democratic process."
- "Security arrangements and safeguards against fraud: ...ensuring that proper arrangements have been made for the security of the polling stations and the ballot boxes/papers during and after the poll and during and after the count."
- "Observers are responsible for seeing that the election have been conducted in accordance with the following requirements… that the secrecy of the ballot has been maintained."
- "The secrecy of the ballot is one of the great pillars on which free and fair, credible and legitimate elections rest. To avoid suspicion, mistrust, political violence, intimidation and fear of political retribution and victimisation voters, election officials, party agents and party supporters need to be assured that their vote will be secret."
- "No member of a polling station committee or any other person, except during the counting of ballots, should be allowed to see a voter’s marked ballot. Obviously, this prohibition does not apply to a person legally authorized to assist a blind voter or a voter requiring assistance due to a physical infirmity or illiteracy in certain cases. However, a member of a polling station committee should not handle or control the voter’s marked ballot before it is placed in the ballot box."
- "The principle of secrecy of the ballot requires legislation to ensure that secret voting is not only a right on the part of the voter but an absolute obligation."
- "The vote should be cast personally in full secrecy…"
- "Ballot secrecy is not only a right on the part of the voter, but an absolute obligation."
- "Under no circumstances, except for counting of ballots after close of the polling, should a polling station committee member or other person be allowed to see a voter’s marked ballot. Obviously, this prohibition does not apply to a person legally authorised to assist a blind voter or a voter requiring assistance due to physical infirmity."
- "Election officials should under no circumstances accept deviations from the principle of secrecy of the vote."
- "For the voter, secrecy of voting is not only a right but also a duty, non-compliance with which must be punishable by disqualification of any ballot paper whose content is disclosed."
- "The list of persons actually voting should not be published."
- "It will be important to consider what steps have been taken by the host government to explain to the public their right to vote and the fact that they may do so secretly and without fear of reprisal. This will be a vital factor especially in the case of peoples who have never before experienced a democratic election."
- "The matter of the secrecy of the ballot should be carefully explained…so that each voter may be assured that no threats of or actual victimisation would be visited on any voter as a result of how they voted."
- "The secrecy of the ballot should be…the focus of voter-education efforts, so that the public will be confident in these protections."
- "[C]ivic education should aim to inform voters...what guarantees are in place to protect their right to participate confidentially in the process."
- "There should be clear procedures for the provision of necessary assistance to disabled, illiterate and elderly voters that protect, as far as possible, their right to vote secretly."
- "Nobody should be able to vote on behalf of another person (so-called proxy voting) unless it is defined by law for specific circumstances."
- "...[P]roxy voting is another practice to be discouraged. Legislation should make it clear that every voter’s ballot must be marked and cast individually and secretly."
- "Proxy and absentee voting provisions should be designed to encourage the broadest possible participation, without compromising electoral security."
- "Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: to vote and to stand for election - on the basis of universal and equal suffrage, to take part in the Government as well as in the conduct of public affairs at any level and to have equal access to public service."
- "Votes and voter information shall remain sealed as long as the data is held in a manner where they can be associated. Authentication information shall be separated from the voter's decision at a pre-defined state in the e-election or e-referendum."
- "Where systems of proxy or postal voting are used, and where sick people are allowed to vote at home or in hospital, ensuring that these arrangements can withstand attempts at fraud or coercion and do not offend the secrecy of the ballot."
- "The voting station should be laid out in such a way that no one is able to see how voters are marking their ballot papers."
- "Where ballot papers are designed with a counterfoil and serial number all precautions should be taken to ensure that it is impossible to reconcile cast ballots with the names of individual voters (e.g., by marking their identity number on the counterfoil)."
- "All voters have the right to vote in secret. It is the responsibility of the authorities to guarantee this right through provision of polling booths that allow ballot papers to be marked in private."
- "The tear-off part of the ballot should not bear any serial number, while the counterfoil might have these numbers for control purposes."
- "The vote should be cast personally in full secrecy…without the possibility of tracing individual votes."
- "As an additional security measure and safeguard against fraud, a number of countries use voting procedures that require that ballots be placed in envelopes before being placed in the ballot box."
- "Clear rules must be established for voting in polling stations, as well as other methods of voting, that include safeguards for secret balloting and that provide for monitoring by political contestants and election observers."
- "…free and fair elections should be guided by detailed provisions regarding the form of ballots, the design of ballot boxes and voting compartments, and the manner of polling. These provisions should protect the process from fraudulent practices and respect the secrecy of the vote."
- "Except in cases where a voter is being lawfully assisted, a voter cannot waive their right to vote in secret."
- "Ensuring that electors are alone when voting and not accompanied by friends or family."
- "Observers must also look out for family (group) voting, whereby the "head of household" leads other family members through the process, often by taking control of identifying documents and even marking, or at least giving instructions to other family members about marking the ballots."
- "The practice of family voting -- where the head of a family casts ballots on behalf of the other members of the family -- should not be condoned."
- "The principle of secrecy of the vote requires that election regulations underline that secret voting is not only a right on the part of the voter, but an absolute obligation. In this regard, the most frequent abuse is "family voting"."
- "Voting must be individual. Family voting and any other form of control by one voter over the vote of another must be prohibited."
- "Observers should determine who printed the ballots, and what safety features are employed to preserve the integrity of the ballot prior to Election Day, in order to avoid duplication or illegal production of ballots."