Congress should protect privacy in right to petition
In my civics classes, we learned about the sacredness of the secret ballot, which freed voters to express their opinions privately at the ballot box. [“Support signature privacy,” Opinion, April 28.]
In my mind, signing a petition is a means of casting a vote for consideration on the proposed issue. It should be covered by this same principle.
Secret ballots prevent exposure of one’s political preferences from public scrutiny and political pressures. The current Freedom of Information case exposes opinions on what? Gay rights? Homophobia? Democratic process?
As a voter, I might believe that an issue should be submitted to a vote and I might or I might not be in favor of or against the issue. Signing a petition is a citizen’s constitutional right. Names and addresses are rightly given to allow checking the legitimacy of voting registration —not to provide mailing lists or exposure of signers’ identities. This checking is witnessed and certified, not copied and distributed.
Without specific information from the voter on motivation for signing, those seeking names and addresses could quickly harass the signer for an unknown motive. What counts is not who signs a request for a legal process, but if approved for citizen consideration, the secret ballots of all voters at the polls.
The Supreme Court should protect the secret-voting rights of its citizens, including the right to petition.
— Roger Ferris, Shoreline