Secret ballots in open meetings

I have thought that rather than push myself to write, I would just write when the spirit
moves me. I figured that would work, and sure enough, my issue for today has presented itself.

The State Fair Community College board of trustees has now taken a vote by secret ballot in
an open meeting. The law says …all votes shall be recorded, and if a roll call is taken, as to
attribute each yea and nay vote, or abstinence if not voting, to the name of the individual
member of the public governmental body. Any votes taken during a closed meeting shall be
taken by roll call.. All public meetings shall be open to the public and public votes and public
records shall be open to the public…

Clearly, the law provides that roll call votes must be recorded by names. And how can
public votes be open to the public during the course of an open meeting unless they are done
by show of hands or by voice vote? Either of those two methods allows the public to know how
each member voted. A vote by secret ballot clearly does NOT establish a public vote that is
open to the public, under the intent of the law.

I remember debating much of this when the language was added about all closed meeting
votes having to be by roll call vote so that members in closed meetings could not have secret
voting. I didn’t expect to see this issue again in open meetings.

As I said, it’s a new issue almost every day. There’ll be plenty of material for a blog, she
said…..