ballot

[ bal-uht ]

/ ˈbæl ət /

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See synonyms for: ballot / balloted / balloting / balloter on Thesaurus.com

noun

a slip or sheet of paper on which a person's vote is marked.

the method of secret voting by means of printed or written slips or sheets of paper or by means of voting machines.

voting in general, or a round of voting: Our candidate was defeated on the third ballot.

the list of candidates to be voted on: They succeeded in getting her name placed on the ballot.

the right to vote: to gain the ballot after years of struggle.

the whole number of votes cast or recorded.

a system or the practice of drawing lots: The assassin would be chosen by ballot.

(formerly) a little ball used in voting.

verb (used without object), bal·lot·ed, bal·lot·ing.

to vote: to ballot against a candidate.

to draw lots: to ballot for places.

verb (used with object), bal·lot·ed, bal·lot·ing.

to canvass or solicit (a group, membership, etc.) for votes: Members were balloted on the resolution.

to select, especially for military service: Certain age groups will not be balloted at this time.

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Origin of ballot

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French ballotte, from Venetian Italian ballotta, equivalent to ball (a ) ball¹ + -otta diminutive suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM ballot

bal·lot·er, nounnon·bal·lot·ing, nounpre·bal·lot, verb (used with object), pre·bal·lot·ed, pre·bal·lot·ing.re·bal·lot, noun, verb (used without object)

un·bal·lot·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ballot

ballad, ballet, ballot

Words nearby ballot

balloon shade, balloon sleeve, balloon tire, balloon tyre, balloon vine, ballot, ballotade, ballot box, ballot curing, ballotini, ballot paper

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ballot in a sentence

We have charts showing how long it took for presidential primary ballots to be counted in each state.
Election live updates: Trump returns to Wisconsin; Biden to face live audience at town hall|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 17, 2020|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.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes Green Party presidential ticket from ballot, clearing the way for mail ballots to be sent out|Amy Gardner|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Additional staff, and in some cases machines, are necessary to open, sort and tabulate postal ballots and verify signatures.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting|Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes|September 17, 2020|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.
Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine; Biden says Americans shouldn’t trust Trump|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 16, 2020|Washington Post

Election officials will be working for days, even weeks, to make sure that every eligible ballot is counted.
ProPublica’s Pandemic Guide to Making Sure Your Vote Counts|by Susie Armitage|September 16, 2020|ProPublica
However, more than 20 players on the ballot this year were probably worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame|Ben Jacobs|January 9, 2015|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.
Kamikaze Congress Prepares to Strike Boehner|Ben Jacobs|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
At least 29 fellow Republicans must vote against Boehner for a second ballot to be reached, and that seems very unlikely.
The YOLO Caucus' New Cry for Attention|Ben Jacobs|January 4, 2015|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.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality|E.J. Graff|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By 2012, the marriage equality movement had won in courts and legislatures—but not at the ballot box.
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality|E.J. Graff|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But it jes serves the Govment right fur not parsin' the Second Ballot.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, July 27, 1895|Various
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.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
"The town marshal will stay right where he is, and guard the ballot box," said the chairman.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
He maintained the connexion of church and state, and opposed triennial parliaments and the ballot.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2|Various
Voting must be performed carefully because a defaced, improperly marked ballot may be challenged and thrown out.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

British Dictionary definitions for ballot

ballot

/ (ˈbælət) /

noun

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

an instance of voting, usually in secret using ballot papers or a voting machine

the paper on which a vote is recorded

a list of candidates standing for office

the number of votes cast in an election

a random selection of successful applicants for something in which the demand exceeds the supply, esp for shares in an oversubscribed new issue

NZ the allocation by ballot of farming land among eligible candidates, such as ex-servicemen

NZ a low-interest housing loan allocated by building societies by drawing lots among its eligible members

verb -lots, -loting or -loted

to vote or elicit a vote fromwe balloted the members on this issue

(tr usually foll by for) to select (officials, etc) by lot or ballot or to select (successful applicants) at random

(tr often foll by for) to vote or decide (on an issue, etc)

Word Origin for ballot

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with ballot

ballot

see stuff the ballot box.

ballot

Origin of ballot

OTHER WORDS FROM ballot

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ballot

Words nearby ballot

Words related to ballot

How to use ballot in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ballot

Word Origin for ballot

Other Idioms and Phrases with ballot