ballot

Meaning

Noun

1. 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.
3. The total of all the votes cast in an election.
4. (US) A list of candidates running for office; a ticket.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To vote or decide by ballot.
2. (intransitive) To draw lots.
3. (transitive) To invite to vote on a proposal.

Synonyms

vote

poll

voting

balloting

ticket

🎫

elect

suffrage

polling

election

casting of lots

vote for

label

🏷️

stub

voice

votes

voting slip

write in

cast one’s vote

vote in

ballot-paper

ballot for

vote teller

banknote

cast

electoral

franchise

opt

plebiscit

pole

referendum

sign

slate

sortition

Translations

Abstimmung

vote

votar

Stimmzettel

scrutin

voto

balotar

ψηφοδέλτιο

stemmen

stemming

Wahl

Wahlgang

ψηφίζω

voter

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbælət/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle French: balotiage

Cognate with French: ballottage

In summary

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”).