A secret ballot is a procedure that conceals the identity of the voter from the choice they cast, designed to protect electors from intimidation, bribery, or retaliation. It is sometimes called the "Australian ballot" because the modern form, with state-printed uniform ballots marked privately, was first widely used in Victoria and South Australia in 1856 before spreading to the United Kingdom (Ballot Act 1872) and the United States in the late 19th century.
The principle is enshrined in international human rights instruments. Article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that the will of the people shall be expressed in periodic elections held "by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures." Article 25(b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) uses nearly identical language. Regional instruments, including Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights, also require secrecy in legislative elections.
In multilateral bodies, secret ballots are used selectively. Under the UN General Assembly's Rules of Procedure (Rule 92), all elections — for the Secretary-General, non-permanent Security Council seats, ECOSOC members, ICJ judges, and Human Rights Council members — are conducted by secret ballot. Rule 88 of the Security Council's provisional rules likewise mandates secret ballots for elective decisions. Delegates may also move to take a substantive vote by secret ballot in some bodies, though this is uncommon outside elections.
Key features typically include:
- Uniform, official ballots rather than voter-supplied papers
- Private marking in a booth or screened area
- No identifying marks linking ballot to voter
- Sealed transport and witnessed counting
Departures from secrecy — such as open voting, family voting, or coerced ballot photography — are treated by election observers (OSCE/ODIHR, the Carter Center, EU EOMs) as serious integrity violations. In Model UN, secret ballots are most commonly invoked for elections of chairs or for highly sensitive procedural motions where delegations wish to avoid bloc pressure.
Example
In June 2022, the UN General Assembly elected five new non-permanent members of the Security Council — Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland — by secret ballot, with each candidate needing a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.
Frequently asked questions
Under Rule 92 of the General Assembly's Rules of Procedure, all elections are held by secret ballot, including elections of non-permanent Security Council members, ECOSOC, the ICJ, and the Secretary-General.
Keep learning