“The secret ballot makes a secret government; and a secret government is a secret band of robbers and murderers.”
–Lysander Spooner

A secret ballot ensures that the electorate has the privacy needed at the time of voting. It was introduced back in the late 19th century when the idea of declaring your vote out loud was the norm. In that model there was much room for exploitation through bribery and threatening by influential organisations and parties. The voters in most of the world then were also more vulnerable in the sense that they were immigrants who had little education and awareness and casted their vote based upon what their bosses told them. Back in the day, the introduction of the secret ballot even increased voter turnout.

In the modern age, one wonders if the existence of the secret ballot is in fact democratic. With an evolution in the type of voters, now becoming increasingly literate, informed and confident in their choices, the secret ballot is deemed unnecessary. The whole idea of deception is also inculcated into the society as people would publically tell individuals of their choice of vote but behind closed doors would change their decision. It also allows voters to act on choices made through wrong information due to the lack of challenge on moral, rational or intellectual levels. Openly declaring your vote was a part of the political process that promoted accountability and openness in terms of who stood for what set of beliefs. When it comes to issues like conflict and violence breaking out, those are problems that can surly be prevented by creating a strict environment during the electoral process.