ballot

ballot — noun

1. the formal system or scheduled occasion at which an organisation lets each membe

1.nounC1
Definition

the formal system or scheduled occasion at which an organisation lets each member mark a private choice, used as the standard way of running such votes.

Example

The teachers' union chose its new leader by ballot last Friday.

by ballot for method of selection

Members of the club will hold a ballot on Tuesday to decide the new fees.

hold a ballot on [issue]

Common collocations
  • secret ballot
  • hold a ballot
  • by ballot
  • postal ballot
Synonyms
  • vote

    more general; can be open or secret

  • poll

    often refers to opinion-gathering or to election day itself

Grammar Patterns

hold a ballot

by ballot

Usage Note

Often used in formal organizational contexts (unions, political parties, clubs). Frequently appears with the adjective 'secret' even though secrecy is already part of the meaning.

Common Mistakes

They made a ballot to choose the captain.
They held a ballot to choose the captain.
the standard verb is 'hold' or 'have', not 'make'.

2. the printed sheet, card, or electronic form that a voter uses to record which ca

2.nounC1
Definition

the printed sheet, card, or electronic form that a voter uses to record which candidate or option they are choosing.

Example

Maria carefully folded her ballot and dropped it into the wooden box.

Three names were printed on the ballot, but Ilya crossed out the first two.

names printed on the ballot

Common collocations
  • mark a ballot
  • spoil a ballot
  • count the ballots
  • ballot box
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

mark a ballot

spoil a ballot

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the physical or digital object a voter touches; sense 1 names the whole event or system.

Common Mistakes

She wrote her name on the ballot.
She wrote her name on the ballot envelope.
voters mark a choice on a ballot but rarely sign the ballot itself, since votes are usually anonymous.

3. a single round of secret voting on one question, viewed as something the voters

3.nounC2
Definition

a single round of secret voting on one question, viewed as something the voters carry out and produce a result for, rather than as the system arranged around them.

Example

After a tense ballot on the factory merger, the workers in Birmingham narrowly rejected the deal.

a ballot on [issue]

The first ballot ended in a tie, so Mr Wong ordered a second round on Friday.

Common collocations
  • close ballot
  • decisive ballot
  • ballot result
Synonyms
  • vote

    everyday equivalent; ballot sounds more formal

  • poll

    can mean a single vote-event in British media usage

Grammar Patterns

a ballot on [issue]

Usage Note

Frequently appears with verbs of action by the voters themselves (win, lose, hold) rather than verbs of organisation. Sense 1 names the system or scheduled occasion; this sense names the secret-voting action performed by the people involved, often paired with outcome adjectives like close, decisive, or narrow.

ballot — verb

Word family

  • ballot box
    nounC1
  • balloting
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words involve people making a choice as a group, but they differ in scope and formality. A ballot specifically highlights the private, written or electronic act of choosing, often inside an organisation such as a union or a club. A vote is the most general word: any individual act of choosing, whether spoken, raised by hand, or written down. A poll often points either to the wider event of voting (the polls open at 7) or to a survey of public opinion. An election is a large official event, usually for choosing leaders or representatives. A referendum is a one-issue vote put directly to the public, such as on a constitutional change. Compare: workers held a ballot on the strike (private, internal); the country held a referendum on EU membership (national, single issue).

ballot ↗vote ↗poll ↗election ↗referendum ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ballot box
  • ballot paper
  • ballot result
  • ballot rigging

Adverbs

Phrases

  • secret ballot
  • postal ballot
  • hold a ballot
  • rig a ballot

Prepositions

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Ballot came into English in the late 1500s from the Italian word ballotta, meaning 'little ball'. In Venice, voters dropped small coloured balls into a box to make their choice in secret, and the name of the ball stuck to the whole practice. Over time the meaning shifted from the physical ball to the slip of paper, and then to the wider act and system of secret voting we use today.