"...the fact of the matter is that the number of the ballot paper one receives at the poll is recorded beside one's name on the copy of the electoral register on which one is identified as eligible to vote at the polling station." MtheGM

I am curious. Is it a fact that the ballot number is "recorded" beside the name? Is it done by hand or pre-printed?

I used to work in Elections in Alaska; in order to refresh my memory I called them yesterday and posed this same question: Since the ballot packs are numbered and since the names on the ballot register are also numbered, does that mean that each person's vote can be tracked?

Answer: No.

The ballots are numbered for quality control: to ensure that the proper amount was printed/delivered and accounted for. The numbers on the register are precinct numbers and are unrelated.

I pressed: In a corrupt regime the numbers could be correlated, right?

She hesitated. I suppose so, she said, but the numbers would have to be put in by hand; there is no way in our system that it could be done invisibly.