ballot Hear it!

ballot Definition

bal·lot (bal′ət)

noun

    1. Obsolete a ball
    2. now, a ticket, paper, etc., by which a vote is registered
  2. the act or a method of voting; esp., secret voting by the use of ballots or voting machines
  3. the right to vote
  4. the total number of votes cast in an election
  5. a list of people running for office; ticket

Etymology: It ballotta, pallotta, dim. of palla: see balloon

intransitive verb

to decide by means of the ballot; vote

ballot Related Forms
bal′·loter noun
ballot Synonyms

ballot

n.

  1. A vote

    tally, ticket, poll; see vote 1.

  2. A list of candidates

    choice, slate, ticket, lineup; see ticket 2.

ballot Usage Examples

Converse of subject

  • elect: The General Council of 25 members is elected annually by individual postal ballot of the members.

Converse of object

  • spoil: It's a spoilt ballot which has been proven time after time to achieve nothing.
  • cast: The remaining nine electors cast ballots for John Kerry.

Adjective modifier

  • postal: The postal ballot shall be issued to all members entitled to vote.
  • all-postal: But trial all-postal ballots in four English regions were hit by delays and some fraud allegations.
  • consultative: The deal will be voted on in a consultative ballot.
  • secret: A secret ballot is to be taken on the new proposal, the result of which will be revealed tomorrow.
  • spoiled: Pointed to the large number of spoiled ballots in London when multiple systems were used.
  • industrial: Return to top " Notice of ballot Notice of an industrial action ballot must be provided by the trade union.

Modifies a noun

  • paper: Ballot papers were handed in for the election of the National Chairman.
  • rigging: The judges had exposed ballot rigging in last November's parliamentary elections.
  • box: In the end the BNP is only going to be defeated at the ballot box, not by banning them.
  • stuffing: Because of a glitch in the software designed to restrict ballot stuffing, Irish soccer player Ronnie O'Brien led briefly.
  • envelope: The ballot paper must then be sealed in the ballot paper envelope.

Noun used with modifier

  • absentee: The county where I am from has very strict rules about sending absentee ballots abroad.
  • derecognition: There is no derecognition without a ballot but the procedure for holding a derecognition ballot is simplified.
  • cross-campus: Students in a cross-campus ballot elect these student officers every March.
  • strike: Strike ballot papers will go out from Monday 10 July.
  • unison: UNISON ballots NHS staff over privatization ( 25/07/06 ) Anger at plans to hand over NHS Logistics to DHL more.
  • feeder: Feeder school ballots Most of the other grammar schools are grouped into 26 groups for feeder ballots.