ballot
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ballot
- /ˈbælət/ UK
- /ˈbælət/ US
Rhymes with -ælət
Where it comes from
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”).
noun ballots
-
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.
Similar: ballot paper, voting slip
- 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
- The total of all the votes cast in an election.
- A list of candidates running for office; a ticket.
verb ballots · balloting · balloted
- To vote or decide by ballot. to ballot for a candidate
- To draw lots.
- To invite to vote on a proposal. The trade union balloted its members for strike action.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: vote, voting, election, plebiscite, referendum, polls, electoral, polling, voter, suffrage, elector, poll, consultation, voucher, counting, update
Translations
Every language
noun paper used for vote-casting — see also ballot paper
| Español | papeleta de voto, balota, boleta |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 투표용지 tupyoyongji, 투표지 tupyoji |
| 日本語 | 投票用紙 tōhyō yōshi |
| 中文 | 選票 /选票 xuǎnpiào |
| Português | cédula eleitoral, boletim |
| Français | bulletin de vote, bulletin |
| Deutsch | Stimmzettel |
| Italiano | scheda elettorale |
| Ελληνικά | ψηφοδέλτιο psifodéltio |
| Română | buletin de vot |
| Русский | бюллете́нь bjulleténʹ, избира́тельный бюллете́нь izbirátelʹnyj bjulleténʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | lá phiếu, phiếu bầu cử, phiếu bầu |
| עברית | פתק הצבעה peteq hatzba'a |
noun process of voting
| Español | elecciones, votación |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 투표 tupyo |
| 日本語 | 投票 tōhyō |
| 中文 | 投票 tóupiào |
| Português | votação |
| Français | votation |
| Deutsch | Abstimmung |
| Italiano | votazione |
| Ελληνικά | ψηφοφορία psifoforía |
| Русский | голосова́ние golosovánije, волеизъявле́ние voleizʺjavlénije, баллотиро́вка ballotiróvka |
| العربية | تَصْوِيت taṣwīt |
noun list of candidates
| Español | candidatura |
|---|---|
| Português | lista de candidatos |
| Ελληνικά | ψηφοδέλτιο psifodéltio |
verb to vote by ballot
| Tiếng Việt | bỏ phiếu, bỏ phiếu bầu |
|---|
verb to draw lots
| Русский | тяну́ть жре́бий tjanútʹ žrébij |
|---|
Talk about this word "ballot." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ballot. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ballot. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ballot "ballot." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ballot.Cite this
@misc{ballot_2026,
title = {ballot},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ballot},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
