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**Farengeto** · 02-19-2016, 09:34 PM

Especially in situations as toxic as lately a method of pressure-free voting method is almost necessary.

***Tsunamy*** · 02-19-2016, 09:34 PM

(02-19-2016, 09:23 PM)Belschaft Wrote: In a community this size it helps to keep people accountable for their decisions; there is a reason why the historic direct democracies didn't use a secret ballot.

Or ... we could cite this as the root of all the toxicity here.

Don't like how someone voted? Punish them throughout the term!
Think people are conspiring? Show they vote for each other!

I'm not sure where voter accountability comes into any of this.

-tsunamy
[forum admin]

Zak6858 · 02-19-2016, 09:37 PM

The toxicity comes from people hating each other from the way they voted, not keeping it secret.

I am Zadiner/Zak. Part of Assembly, some other stuff, Founder of some other region.
Hey, I have a bunch of issues. You don't need to care.
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**Belschaft** · 02-19-2016, 09:38 PM

A secret ballot isn't a contributing factor to toxicity, and I'm not sure how anyone could come to that conclusion.

In a polity as small as this one everyone is familiar with each over on a personal level, and that is why a secret ballot isn't a good idea. Personality is a part of decision making in a way that it isn't in the real world, so maximising information allows us to make informed decisions. How someone votes in an election is relevant to decision making.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

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Drugged Monkeys · 02-19-2016, 09:41 PM

How someone votes in an election is irrelevant to everyone else.
We all have the right to a private vote, or a public one.

Semi-Unretired

**Belschaft** · 02-19-2016, 09:46 PM

Eh, this is an online browser game with a community of less than thirty, not the real world. What is right/required in the real world isn't always the best in the game. I by no means suggest that we should force everyone to vote publicly, but the current preponderance towards a public ballot is preferable.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

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Drugged Monkeys · 02-19-2016, 09:48 PM

What does RL have to do with anything?
I should be able to vote publicly, if I choose.
Or Privately, if I choose.
Especially in this tiny community where people would hold my vote against me. Which happens. All the time.

Semi-Unretired

***Tsunamy*** · 02-19-2016, 10:02 PM

If we have anyone vote privately, you can just state if you want people to know. It's really not that different of a system.

-tsunamy
[forum admin]

**Belschaft** · 02-19-2016, 10:07 PM

(02-19-2016, 09:48 PM)Drugged Monkeys Wrote: What does RL have to do with anything?
I should be able to vote publicly, if I choose.
Or Privately, if I choose.
Especially in this tiny community where people would hold my vote against me. Which happens. All the time.

It's precisely because this is a tiny community that public voting is preferable; because we all know each other personally, knowing where each other stand on issues - such as who they vote for - matters. It's a question of personal accountability, so that we can know who supports who and why. You shouldn't look at this through the perspective as a voter casting a ballot in a real-world election for a representative; imagining yourself as a shareholder voting on a companies new CEO is more accurate.

_{Minister of Media, Subversion and Sandwich Making}
^{Associate Justice of the High Court and Senior Moderator}

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~~Cormac~~ · 02-19-2016, 11:37 PM

I'm in favor of maintaining a private voting option. I always publicly vote, but I think there should be a choice.