Category:Ballot

Bal"lot, n. Etym: [F. ballotte, fr. It. ballotta. See Ball round body.]

1. Originally, a ball used for secret voting. Hence: Any printed or written ticket used in voting.

2. The act of voting by balls or written or printed ballots or tickets; the system of voting secretly by balls or by tickets. The insufficiency of the ballot. Dickens.

3. The whole number of votes cast at an election, or in a given territory or electoral district. Ballot box, a box for receiving ballots.

Bal"lot, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Balloted; p. pr. & vb. n. Balloting.] Etym: [F. ballotter to toss, to ballot, or It. ballottare. See Ballot, n.]

Defn: To vote or decide by ballot; as, to ballot for a candidate.

Bal"lot, v. t.

Defn: To vote for or in opposition to. None of the competitors arriving to a sufficient number of balls, they fell to ballot some others. Sir H. Wotton.