ballot

[ bal-uht ]

noun

1. a slip or sheet of paper on which a person's vote is marked.
2. the method of secret voting by means of printed or written slips or sheets of paper or by means of voting machines.
3. voting in general, or a round of voting:

   Our candidate was defeated on the third ballot.

4. the list of candidates to be voted on:

   They succeeded in getting her name placed on the ballot.

5. the right to vote:

   to gain the ballot after years of struggle.

6. the whole number of votes cast or recorded.
7. a system or the practice of drawing lots:

   The assassin would be chosen by ballot.

8. (formerly) a little ball used in voting.

verb (used without object)

, bal·lot·ed, bal·lot·ing.

1. to vote:

   to ballot against a candidate.

2. to draw lots:

   to ballot for places.

verb (used with object)

, bal·lot·ed, bal·lot·ing.

1. to canvass or solicit (a group, membership, etc.) for votes:

   Members were balloted on the resolution.

2. to select, especially for military service:

   Certain age groups will not be balloted at this time.

ballot

/ ˈbælət /

noun

1. the democratic practice of selecting a representative, a course of action, or deciding some other choice by submitting the options to a vote of all qualified persons
2. an instance of voting, usually in secret using ballot papers or a voting machine
3. the paper on which a vote is recorded
4. a list of candidates standing for office
5. the number of votes cast in an election
6. a random selection of successful applicants for something in which the demand exceeds the supply, esp for shares in an oversubscribed new issue
7. the allocation by ballot of farming land among eligible candidates, such as ex-servicemen
8. a low-interest housing loan allocated by building societies by drawing lots among its eligible members

verb

1. to vote or elicit a vote from

   we balloted the members on this issue

2. trusually foll byfor to select (officials, etc) by lot or ballot or to select (successful applicants) at random
3. troften foll byfor to vote or decide (on an issue, etc)

Other Words From

• ballot·er noun
• non·ballot·ing noun
• pre·ballot verb (used with object) preballoted preballoting
• re·ballot noun verb (used without object)
• un·ballot·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballot¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French ballotte, from Venetian Italian ballotta, equivalent to ball ( a ) ball ¹ + -otta diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballot¹

C16: from Italian ballotta , literally: a little ball, from balla ball ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see stuff the ballot box .

Example Sentences

We have charts showing how long it took for presidential primary ballots to be counted in each state.

From Washington Post

This year, the Green Party has qualified for the ballot in more than two dozen states, including such battlegrounds as Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Maine, Minnesota and Texas.

From Washington Post

Additional staff, and in some cases machines, are necessary to open, sort and tabulate postal ballots and verify signatures.

From Washington Post

Those in Texas who applied for an absentee ballot and received one in the mail but still want to vote at the polls on Election Day must surrender their mailed ballot, as Trainor described.

From Washington Post

Election officials will be working for days, even weeks, to make sure that every eligible ballot is counted.

From ProPublica

However, more than 20 players on the ballot this year were probably worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown.

From The Daily Beast

If 29 vote for someone else, the race for speaker goes to a second ballot for the first time in almost 100 years.

From The Daily Beast

At least 29 fellow Republicans must vote against Boehner for a second ballot to be reached, and that seems very unlikely.

From The Daily Beast

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

But it jes serves the Govment right fur not parsin' the Second Ballot.

From Project Gutenberg

But if a reform party does achieve power, if only for a term, the first thing for it to do is to overhaul the ballot system.

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

He maintained the connexion of church and state, and opposed triennial parliaments and the ballot.

From Project Gutenberg

Voting must be performed carefully because a defaced, improperly marked ballot may be challenged and thrown out.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• election
• plebiscite
• poll
• polling
• referendum
• slate
• tally
• ticket