I’ve always been quick to dismiss the so-called benefits of anonymity. This feeling has manifested in some truly bizarre personal behavior over the years. I’ve signed my name to anonymous forms in pointless gestures of defiance, for example, or expressed my displeasure when unable to ask clarifying follow up questions due to feedback coming from an anonymous source. My most consistent outburst comes whenever I suspect my ‘anonymity’ will hold up for all of the next ten seconds before something gives it away – my handwriting, my place among a sample size of three, or whatever.
These examples regularly frustrate me because I believe in the importance of individuality. However, this also means the opposite is true – when individuality doesn’t matter, anonymity is crucial. Our democracy was structured with this exact principle in mind. If my preferences are an exact opposite match to someone else, our points of view cancel out at the ballot box regardless of any other facet of our individuality.
I value anonymity at the polls because I feel it ensures another important feature of our democracy – equality. The outcome of any one vote at an individual level is essentially a question of command. If my vote accumulates into the majority, I become the commander; the reverse demands my obedience. Over the course of many votes, I take turns commanding or obeying those around me based on the tally, and this is the process that maintains equality. If this structure were not in place, my role in the community would essentially be one of permanent boss or subordinate to my neighbors, and there’s no equality in such relationships.
