[EL] Secret signatures and secret ballots

[Volokh, Eugene]

                An interesting tidbit about the very early history of initiatives, or perhaps proto-initiatives - probably not new to most people on the list, but it was new to me:  Article LXIII of the Georgia Constitution of 1777 provided that, "No alteration shall be made in this constitution without petitions from a majority of the counties, and the petitions from each county to be signed by a majority of voters in each county within this State; at which time the assembly shall order a convention to be called for that purpose, specifying the alterations to be made, according to the petitions preferred to the assembly by the majority of the counties as aforesaid."  (I'm sure that the petition signatures weren't kept confidential, but as Doug points out, at the time neither were votes at an ordinary candidate election.)

                Eugene

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Doug Hess
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 4:26 PM
To: law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Secret signatures and secret ballots

Vince wrote: "'The secret ballot has been around far longer than the perceived right to petition, which in this country I believe was derived from British "

Perhaps in global history, but the secret ballot in the US (the "Australian Ballot") is fairly new. I assume some "right to petition" even if not for ballot initiatives, has been around longer. (I guess that the phrase "right to petition" has broad meaning and could cover private/covert requests, as well as associationalism or public action.)

Doug
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