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Synonyms

ballot box

American  

noun

  1. a receptacle for voters' ballots.

  2. a system or instance of voting by ballot.

ballot box British  

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of ballot box

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The party gained control of 10 councils in England last year and has now followed this up with further successes at the ballot box.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

We protested, on the streets and at the ballot box.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

He is widely seen as one of the only politicians capable of defeating Erdogan at the ballot box in elections due before mid-2028.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

How does that play out at the ballot box?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Anthony slipped her papers into the ballot box.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.