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  • February 2016 (Revised July 2017)
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An Australian Ballot for California?

By: David Moss, Marc Campasano and Dean Grodzins
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:18
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Abstract

In early 1891, California lawmakers were considering a plan to reform the state's elections through the introduction of an “Australian” ballot. Under this new system, candidates from all qualifying parties would appear on official ballots, which would be printed by county and municipal governments and which voters would ultimately fill out in secret. This would mark a substantial departure from the existing way in which votes were cast in California, or for that matter in most of the United States. Traditionally, political groups prepared and distributed party-line ballots, called “tickets,” for voters to submit at the polls. Because each party ticket was visually distinctive (in most cases, distinguished by a particular color), it was easy for observers to determine how individual citizens had voted as they handed in their ballots. Closely monitoring the ballot boxes, representatives of the party “political machines” frequently paid supporters who voted for the machine ticket and sought to punish those who did not. Supporters of the Australian ballot promised it would end these abuses, bring greater secrecy and honesty to California's elections, and loosen the grip of party machines on the state and municipal governments.
Despite some opposition in Republican circles, the Republican-dominated Assembly and Senate both passed the ballot bill by large margins in early March and sent it on to the Republican governor, Henry Markham, for his signature. If Markham signed the bill into law, California would join a growing roster of U.S. states using the new, secret ballot, and reformers would claim another victory in their battle against political machines.

Keywords

Voting; Ethics; Political Elections; Laws and Statutes; Change; California

Citation

Moss, David, Marc Campasano, and Dean Grodzins. "An Australian Ballot for California?" Harvard Business School Case 716-054, February 2016. (Revised July 2017.)
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About The Author

David A. Moss

Business, Government and the International Economy
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Related Work

    • February 2016 (Revised July 2017)
    • Faculty Research

    An Australian Ballot for California?

    By: David Moss, Marc Campasano and Dean Grodzins
Related Work
  • An Australian Ballot for California? By: David Moss, Marc Campasano and Dean Grodzins
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