In the United Kingdom, the Ballot Act of 1872 officially introduced secret ballot to the British parliamentary politics. Switzerland and Canada adopted the system in 1872 and 1874 respectively. Belgium had it in 1877, Denmark, 1901; Austria and Finland, 1907; Brazil, 1932; and EI.Salvador, 1950.

Secret ballot system was first introduced to colonial Nigeria in 1923 by the British colonial administrators. In essence, the ballot system was adopted at different times by countries.

Different types of ballot system had existed across centuries in different political climes. The following types had been in vogue and used by states' electoral bodies at one time or the other:

*Oral ballot or voice voting.

*Open ballot.

*Semi-secret ballot or open-secret.

*Secret ballot.

*Modified open ballot system.

Voters indicate their choice of candidates by voice or shouting. The vote openly declares "yes" or "no", "accepted" or "rejected" to the contestants according to the way he/she feels about them. The system is commonly used in parliamentary voting when the speaker calls for "ayes" or "nays" votes on a particular bill or resolution.

The state of Kentucky in United States used oral ballot until 1891 when it adopted secret ballot system.

Voters cast their votes openly without secrecy, confidentiality and anonymity. The voters are made to cast their votes in the open glare, while the choices maybe known to others. Queuing behind candidates by voters is a variant of open ballot system.

Voters cast their ballots under such a condition that is not totally open or totally close. Under this arrangement, votes cast can still be traced, one way or the other, to the actual voter, and thereby his/her selection or choice can be identified.

Secret ballot. Voters make their selection in an election under confidential cover, and his/her choices are only known to him except he/she chooses to disclose them to others.

This is different from semi-secret ballot type. Under this arrangement, voters make their selection secretly, but cast the ballot into a ballot box placed in the open view where everyone can see it. The system was used in Nigeria during the 2007 General Elections.

Ballot, as a choice-making device, can be in varied voting forms, namely:

i. Coloured small balls, stones and shells. The original form of ballot was a ball. There were usually two balls: one white, one black. The white ball signifies "acceptance" of a candidate while the black one means "rejection." Each voter received the two balls and drop each of them secretly in appropriate receptacles (boxes) so as to indicate the accepted or rejected candidate based on his/her judgment.

Similarly, stones and marked shells were used as alternatives to coloured balls. These modes of balloting were used in the ancient Greece during the Middle Ages. This is no longer in vogue.

ii. Paper scraps. The use of simple scraps of paper was a precursor to the now commonly printed ballot. The mechanism is that "each voter writes on the paper his/her chosen candidate", according to Wikipedia.

This practice did not fully guarantee the secrecy of the votes.

iii. Printed tickets. Since secret ballot system has been officially adopted by most states, government pre-printed ballots have become the most common usage in elections. Voters, after selecting their choice of candidates, cast their ballot or vote in a ballot box placed at the polling station especially made for the purpose of the election. The polling station provides the secrecy required for protection and confidentiality.

The modern printed ballot used by most countries since' the 1960s is the office-column type, in which either the names of the candidates are arranged under the office being contested alphabetically or according to parties, with the party label appearing after the name in either case. When the party-column ballot type is used, the party emblem is often added to the party column. The party emblem may also be used on the office-column ballot (for example, as used in New York State of the United States). The use of the party emblem is to make it easier for the voters, especially the illiterates and the ill-informed, to be able to identify and vote for the party of their choice, thereby enabling them to vote a straight party ticket.

Further innovations have been introduced to the system, names of candidates contesting a particular office are now alphabetically listed with their respective party names and logos appearing along with their names. This was the type adopted for the 2007 governorship and presidential elections in Nigeria.

The preparation, printing and distribution of printed ballots are often done by government agencies such as the electoral body constitutionally established for the purpose of conducting elections (for example, INEC in Nigeria). The take-over of these responsibilities by government or its agencies is to avert the earlier abuses of the ballot system when parties and candidates in the United States were permitted by law in the first half of the 19th Century to print and distribute ballots to voters, which led to confusion and fraud at the polls. The flaws associated with this system later led to ballot reforms in U.S.A.

(iv) Mechanical -lever device. In this type, which can be operated manually or electrically, the list of candidates is arranged on the face of a voting machine according to the office-column model, either horizontally or vertically. The voter indicates his/her choice by placing a pointer next to the name of the candidate preferred. The mechanical-lever voting machines are equipped with curtains which voters close to form a private polling booth. When each voter has finished casting his/her ballot, he/she would pull a lever that opens the curtains, return the pointers to their original positions which automatically starts the mechanical counting device that record and add up the votes. The system was first adopted by the U.S.A. in 1892 to facilitate voting and reduce the possibility of fraud. By the 1960s, the system gained more acceptance as more than 50 per cent of all U.S.A. votes were tallied on the machines. However, by the late 1990s, the use of the system waned in America, as the machines were available to only 19 per cent of registered voters as mechanical-lever machines have ceased to be manufactured, while old ones have worn out. Besides, the system is expensive to produce, store and service; and rapid electronic tabulation is (also) difficult, thereby giving room for other ballot types with lesser problems.

Punch-card system. This involves a voter inserting a typical card into a clipboard-sized device. The card is aligned with the printed ballot, and uses arrows on the ballot as a guide in choosing which holes to punch on the card, and when finished, the voter removes the card from the device and drops it in the ballot box.

Optical scanning system. This is also called "mark sense ballots" system. The voter makes a ballot choice by filling in a blank circle or square or an incomplete arrow on the ballot, and a computer then detects and tabulates the marks.

Direct Recording Electronic System (DRE). This method involves the use of no paper-ballots. Voters touch the screen of a computer monitor, with a keyboard provided for write-in votes. The system records and stores all votes electronically.

Internet ballot system. This system affords voters to cast their ballots on the Internet from home, office or anywhere they may be with their computers. Though, Internet-based voting has been subjected to criticisms. Its widespread use is opposed because of the belief that it is vulnerable to tampering, and that it deprives many people the right to vote especially the poor who lack access to, and non-familiarity with, the Internet. More grievous, is that, it is open to multiple voting as voters' can cast votes at more than one Internet point.

Postal vote. Voters mail their votes showing their preferences to the electoral agency using the normal postal service. The vote-mails are usually sent at reasonable times ahead of the polls, usually done by citizens living abroad e.g. militating officers and diplomats.

The surveyed ballot types and voting forms can be broadly categorised into major types: "Open" and "Secret" ballot systems. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. And in short, the two options are based on myths and realities. But the fact is that most countries have moved from open ballot to secret ballot system.

Subsumed under open ballot systems are voting methods such as: Oral ballot or voice voting; Queuing system; Semi-secret ballot; Modified open ballot system.

Direct Recording Electronic System (DRE). This method involves the use of no paper-ballots. Voters touch the screen of a computer monitor, with a keyboard provided for write-in votes. The system records and stores all votes electronically.

Internet ballot system. This system affords voters to cast their ballots on the Internet from home, office or anywhere they may be with their computers. Though, Internet-based voting has been subjected to criticisms. Its widespread use is opposed because of the belief that it is vulnerable to tampering, and that it deprives many people the right to vote especially the poor who lack access to, and non-familiarity with, the Internet. More grievous, is that, it is open to multiple voting as voters' can cast votes at more than one Internet point.

Postal vote. Voters mail their votes showing their preferences to the electoral agency using the normal postal service. The vote-mails are usually sent at reasonable times ahead of the polls, usually done by citizens living abroad for example military officers and diplomats.

The surveyed ballot types and voting forms can be broadly categorised into major types: 'Open' and 'Secret' ballot systems. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. And in short, the two options are based on myths and realities. But the fact is that most countries have moved from open ballot to secret ballot system.

Subsumed under open ballot systems are voting methods such as: oral ballot or voice voting, queuing system, semi-secret ballot, and modified open ballot system.

Open ballot system has its peculiarities. Contrary to the commonly known secret system, voters make their preferences known openly.

Instead of casting their votes individually, it is collectively done either by way of voice quorum or queuing behind the candidates or their representatives or the ballot box for each contestant at each polling booth. Election can also be by raising of hands.

Open ballot practice is based on the following beliefs and realities:

That it brings transparency in the sense that the electorate and poll watchers would know the number of votes cast and received by each candidate.

That it is less prone to manipulations and fraud because of its openness. It is very easy to count the voters. Most often, the counting is open and loud enough for people to hear.

Announcement of tabulated scores is on the spot and done immediately after counting in the presence of the voters.

It is very simple to operate as it involves fewer technicalities.

It is cost-effective because less personnel are recruited by the electoral body. Poll booths are unnecessary and therefore save costs.

It prevents multiple voting, ballot stuffing, stealing of ballot boxes, and ghost voting.

Results are hardly contested.

It's often free and fair with very little margin of fraud.

Good when political parties and contestants are not many.

Preferred in simple and illiterate societies.

Open ballot system in reality, however, is fraught with myriad of flaws or irregularities. These include the following;

a) The system is not free from manipulations. Electoral malpractice seldom takes place at polling stations. Rather, it often happens after voting when the voters would have gone. Votes might have been well counted in the open eyes of the voters and poll observers, but a manipulated tabulated poll scores could be returned by the electoral officials.

b) The system is considered primitive because, one of the basic principles of modern voting is anonymity. Voters' preferences are not supposed to be known to others.

C) Voters who did not vote for a particular candidate are marked down and thereby exposed to opposition intimidation, thuggery, hooliganism and insecurity to the lives and property of voters and their families and associates. It is therefore risky, and exposes electoral officials to bad weather conditions such as hot sun, heavy rainfall, stormy wind and snow falls.

Promotes bribery, bias and subjectivity. Preference may not be made on the basis of merit but arising from other voters' influence on the spot, bribery or intimidation.

f)The incessant and indiscriminate "carpet crossing" of voters from one line-up, or candidate, to another arising from subjective influences could disrupt and delay the entire election process.

g) Low or poor voter turn-out. The combined effect of voter intimidation for lack of secrecy and bad weather could discourage many voters from coming forward to exercise their voting rights.