Ensuring anonymity and preventing voter buying (Score 2, Informative)

One thing about the Canadian voting process that I haven't seen anyone mention concerns the unique number at the top of each ballot. Voter anonymity is important, but ensuring that votes can't be bought is also critical, and the number provides that.

At the last election, when I received my ballot, the number on top of the ballot was dutifully recorded by one of people at the table. I went behind the screen, marked my X, and folded up the paper. When I returned to the table, the person ensured that the number on the ballot was the same, and then tore off the number and passed me the ballot to place in the box (in full sight).

A common practice in struggling 'democracies' is to provide the voter with a filled in ballot, and the voter gets paid when he or she returns with a blank ballot. The unique number on the Canadian ballot prevents that practice. If I had tore off the number before leaving the screened area, I would have invalidated it.