ballot box

noun

1. a receptacle for voters' ballots.
2. a system or instance of voting by ballot.

ballot box

noun

1. a box into which ballot papers are dropped after voting

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballot box¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

In since-deleted tweets, he said that Democratic “communists” were screaming “for war,” and he defended a post on TheDonald showing a box of bullets as a response to the “rigged ballot box.”

From Washington Post

Worker classification in the gig economy is one of the rare issues that is being addressed and updated by the courts, the Legislature and at the ballot box all at once – often with confusing, conflicting results.

From Voice of San Diego

Ugandans faced a stark choice at the ballot box Thursday between strongman Yoweri Museveni and singer-turned-opposition icon Bobi Wine, who was just 3 years old when Museveni took power 35 years ago.

From Axios

While it seems unlikely that the message can compete with a nine-digit ad campaign to drive up turnout, there are signs that Republicans’ current lack of faith in the electoral process could keep some of them away from the ballot box.

From FiveThirtyEight

More recent presidents like Jimmy Carter, who was in office during a less severe but still serious economic recession, also paid for it at the ballot box.

From FiveThirtyEight

He goes into some detail into what it took to persuade voters to pass marriage equality at the ballot box in four states in 2012.

From The Daily Beast

By 2012, the marriage equality movement had won in courts and legislatures—but not at the ballot box.

From The Daily Beast

That November, many of us were stunned as voters in four states supported marriage equality at the ballot box.

From The Daily Beast

The message is that strong progressive leadership is within reach if women seize it at the ballot box.

From The Daily Beast

Promotion of photo ID to protect the integrity of the ballot box from fraud?

From The Daily Beast

"The town marshal will stay right where he is, and guard the ballot box," said the chairman.

From Project Gutenberg

He folds his ballot to maintain secrecy and hands it to an election judge who places it immediately in the ballot box.

From Project Gutenberg

At Sarlazaccio, where Jansoulet's rival seemed to have a majority, the ballot-box was destroyed the night before it was counted.

From Project Gutenberg

They are teaching the people that their ballots are merchantable products, and their ballot-box a rotten affair.

From Project Gutenberg

There is not the least bit of sense in belonging to a union if you are to become a "scab" when you go to the ballot-box.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• polling place