Originally, a ball used for secret voting. Hence: Any printed or written ticket used in voting. [1913 Webster]
The act of secret voting, whether by balls, written or printed ballots or tickets, or by use of a voting machine; the system of voting secretly. [1913 Webster]
"The insufficiency of the ballot." [1913 Webster]
The whole number of votes cast at an election, or in a given territory or electoral district. [1913 Webster]
the official list of candidates competing in an election. [1913 Webster]

Ballot box, (a) a box for receiving ballots. (b) the act, process or system of voting secretly; same as ballot{2}. “The question will be resolved by the ballot box.”

ballot, v. i. [F. ballotter to toss, to ballot, or It. ballottare. See Ballot, n.].

To vote or decide by ballot; as, to ballot for a candidate. [1913 Webster]

ballot, v. t.

To vote for or in opposition to. [1913 Webster]

"None of the competitors arriving to a sufficient number of balls, they fell to ballot some others." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

ballot, n. & v.
--n.
1 a process of voting, in writing and usu. secret.
2 the total of votes recorded in a ballot.
3 the drawing of lots.
4 a paper or ticket etc. used in voting.
--v. (balloted, balloting)
1 intr. (usu. foll. by for) a hold a ballot; give a vote. b draw lots for precedence etc.
2 tr. take a ballot of (the union balloted its members).

Idiom

ballot-box a sealed box into which voters put completed ballot-papers. ballot-paper a slip of paper used to register a vote.

Etymology

It. ballotta dimin. of balla BALL(1)

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THESAURUS

ballot

Australian ballot, Hare system, Indiana ballot, Massachusetts ballot, absentee ballot, aye, blanket ballot, canvass, canvassing, casting vote, counting heads, cumulative voting, deciding vote, division, enfranchisement, fagot vote, franchise, graveyard vote, hand vote, list system, long ballot, nay, no, nonpartisan ballot, nontransferable vote, office-block ballot, party emblem, party-column ballot, plebiscite, plebiscitum, plumper, plural vote, poll, polling, preferential voting, proportional representation, proxy, record vote, referendum, representation, right to vote, rising vote, sample ballot, say, secret ballot, short ballot, show of hands, single vote, slate, snap vote, split ticket, straight ticket, straw vote, suffrage, ticket, transferable vote, viva voce, voice, voice vote, vote, vote in, voting, voting right, write-in, write-in vote, yea, yeas and nays, yes

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ROGET THESAURUS

ballot

Politics

N politics, political science, candidacy, campaign, campaigning, electioneering, partisanship, ideology, factionalism, election, poll, ballot, vote, referendum, recall, initiative, voice, suffrage, plumper, cumulative vote, plebiscitum, plebiscite, vox populi, electioneering, voting, elective franchise, straight ticket, opinion poll, popularity poll, issue, opinion, stand, position, program, platform, party line, democracy, republicanism, communism, statism, state socialism, socialism, conservatism, toryism, liberalism, whigism, theocracy, constitutional monarchy, party, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Socialist Party, Communist Party, Federalist Party, Bull Moose Party, Abolitionist Party, Christian Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, National Socialist Worker's Party, Nazi Party, Liberal Party, Labor Party, Conservative Party, ticket, slate, politician activist, candidate, aspirant, hopeful, office-seeker, front- runner, dark horse, long shot, shoo-in, supporter, backer, political worker, campaign worker, lobbyist, contributor, party hack, ward heeler, regional candidate, favorite son, running mate, stalking horse, perpetual candidate, political animal, political contribution, campaign contribution, political action committee, PAC, political district, electoral division, electoral district, bailiwick, electorate, constituents, get-out-the-vote campaign, political education, negative campaigning, dirty politics, smear campaign, also-ran, loser, has-been, office holder, official, occupant of a position, public servant, incumbent, winner, political, partisan, Money is the mother's milk of politics.

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