Open ballot system explained

An open ballot system is a voting method in which voters vote openly, in contrast to a secret ballot, where a voter's choices are confidential.

The open ballot system was the norm prior to Australia adopting the secret ballot in 1856.^[1] It was used in Argentina until the adoption of the secret ballot in 1912.^[2] In the late twentieth century, the open ballot was used in the Third Nigerian Republic during the 1993 Nigerian presidential election (the method was referred to as "Option A4"), an election widely considered by Nigerians as a significant symbol of democracy in Nigerian political history.^{[3] [4]}

See also

• 1993 Nigerian presidential election
• Moshood Abiola
• Humphrey Nwosu

Further reading

• Book: Norbert Kersting. Janice Caulfield. R. Andrew Nickson. Dele Olowu. Hellmut Wollmann. 2009. Local Governance Reform in Global Perspective. Springer-Verlag. Berlin . 978-3531169538.
• Nigeria National Electoral Commission. Open Ballot System and Electioneering Campaign Laws and Guidelines (1990)

Notes and References

1. Terry Newman, Web site: Tasmania and the Secret Ballot .   (2003), 49(1) Aust J Pol & Hist 93, accessed May 20, 2015
2. Web site: Roque Sáenz Peña Reformer, Radicalism, Politics Britannica . 2024-01-22 . www.britannica.com . en.
3. Web site: Nigerians remember MKO Abiola on June 12. https://web.archive.org/web/20160507150026/http://tvcnews.tv/?q=article%2Fnigerians-remember-mko-abiola-june-12-0. 7 May 2016. 18 April 2016. dead. TVC News.
4. News: Making a point with Option A4. 18 April 2016. The Nation. 21 March 2013.