ballot

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to vote by a document listing out options

   The voters started balloting in this state.

2. 2
   noun

   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.

   Imagine if the outcome in Michigan is close, and 75% of Biden supporters vote absentee, yet 10% or more of those ballots are rejected.

3. 3
   noun

   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

4. 4
   verb

   To vote or decide by ballot.

   to ballot for a candidate

5. 5
   verb

   To invite to vote on a proposal.

   The trade union balloted its members for strike action.

6. 6
   noun

   a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative

7. 7
   noun

   a document listing the alternatives that is used in voting

8. 8
   noun

   The total of all the votes cast in an election.

Etymology

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”), from Proto-Germanic *balluz (“ball”).