Rest assured, your vote is secret.

I found this NPR article both timely and informative, especially with the growing concerns surrounding ballot privacy in today's political climate. As early voting starts, many Americans are anxious about whether their vote remains secret, a question driven by heightened political tensions and fears of personal or relational repercussions. The article explains that, in the U.S., ballot secrecy is safeguarded by law, with your actual vote choice remaining confidential unless you choose to reveal it.

The history of the secret ballot dates back to the late 1800s, becoming a key element of American democracy to protect voters from coercion. In every state, laws ensure that your ballot is anonymous, and no one can trace it back to you when votes are counted. 

Despite the security of the voting process, it's interesting to see that this issue extends into personal relationships, as noted by Olivia Dreizen Howell, who mentioned that some women fear what may happen if their partners discover how they voted. 

Overall, the piece reassured me that our vote remains private, whether cast in person or by mail, and that voting with our hearts is protected, safe, and forever secret