ballot

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English

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An early ballot box in which balls were used to cast the ballots. This box, once used by the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, a social club, is in the collection of the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., USA.

Etymology

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Borrowed from Italian balota (obsolete), ballotta (small ball, especially one used to register a vote), from balla (bale, bundle) + -otta (suffix forming diminutive nouns); or from Middle French balote (obsolete), ballotte (small ball used to register a vote) (also compare Middle French balotiage, French ballottage (second ballot, runoff)); both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *ballu (ball).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ballot (plural ballots)

  1. Originally, a small ball placed in a container to cast a vote; now, by extension, a piece of paper or card used for this purpose, or some other means used to signify a vote.
  2. The process of voting, especially in secret; a round of voting.
    • July 1836, A. B. (initials of author), London and Westminster Review Article XI, Bribery and Intimidation at Elections
      the insufficiency of the ballot
    • 2023 March 9, Mel Holley, “TSSA accepts offer, but RMT sets new strike dates”, in RAIL, number 978, page 11:
      In the TSSA ballot, 80% of management grade and 60% of general grade members voted to accept, on an overall turnout of 57%.
  3. The total of all the votes cast in an election.
  4. (chiefly US) A list of candidates running for office; a ticket.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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ballot (third-person singular simple present ballots, present participle balloting, simple past and past participle balloted)

  1. (intransitive) To vote or decide by ballot.
    to ballot for a candidate
  2. (intransitive) To draw lots.
  3. (transitive) To invite to vote on a proposal.
    The trade union balloted its members for strike action.

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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  • blackballing (also derived from the old practice of using balls to vote)

Further reading

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French

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Etymology

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From balle +‎ -ot.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ballot m (plural ballots)

  1. bundle, package
  2. (informal, derogatory) fool, nitwit

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Northern Sami

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Pronunciation

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  • (Kautokeino) IPA(key): /ˈpalloh(t)/

Verb

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ballot

  1. first-person plural imperative of ballat