Eligible voters may be allowed to vote in person at special absentee polling stations or alternative places (in the constituency, in the country or abroad), or they may use alternative voting methods such as early voting, mobile voting, proxy voting, postal voting and/or online voting, if available. Since absentee voting procedures enhance electoral participation, they are, in principle, welcomed, but at the same time they are also prone to irregularities, particularly in countries with a poor democratic culture. Thus, with absentee voting, special care must be taken to ensure the secrecy of the vote and to prevent manipulation and fraud.