Advisor John Merrill published an op-ed in The Dallas Morning News, arguing that ballot secrecy measures are essential to combat rising political violence. He writes:
Recent years have brought an unfortunate resurgence in political violence. The attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life was just the most recent and high-profile of such instances. Before that, we saw the House speaker’s husband assaulted with a hammer; “swatting” attacks against members of Congress and others; and the actions at the Capitol by rioters on Jan. 6, 2021.
It’s important to recognize that this type of violence doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s part of a broader process by which overheated and unnecessary political rhetoric can sometimes transform into real-world action. One of the contributing factors to this is the recent upsurge in efforts to undermine the secret ballot in American elections. Efforts to erode ballot secrecy across several different states should serve as a wake-up call for the broader threat we face — and move us to action.
Read the piece here (paywalled).