Secret ballots: I\'m a bit late, but perhaps there\'s some system somewhere that emails you when people reply.
Your entrenchment of the secret ballot in the manner described is anathema to good government. The secret ballot is a good idea; but it should not be uniform in printing. Perhaps you are not familiar with the Robson Rotation, but essentially ballot papers used in the Tasmanian House of Assembly and the ACT Legislative Assembly are printed in batches where each batch has a different ordering of candidates.
This provides two advantages. Firstly, it limits the effect of donkey voting. This is rather trivial.
Secondly, it causes candidates, rather than parties, to compete. If you want to vote for the Cassowary\'s Party for Infinite Justice, which has four members, and all ballots are the same, then it\'s obvious the first candidate would get in, regardless of the fact that Tom over here wants to vote specifically for Felix. OTOH, if you want to vote for the Cassowary\'s Party for Infinite Justice, and Tom wants to vote for the CPIJ and specifically Felix, then that noticeably increases Felix\'s vote, pleasing you both. Hence, the voters, rather than the parties, choose who gets voted in.
(Vote 1 the Cassowary\'s Party for Infinite Justice. This message authorised by Felix the Cassowary, 2919 Short St, Anytown, Anystate.)
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