A ballot is a device used to cast votes in an election and may be found as a piece of paper or a small ball used in voting.[1] It was originally a small ball (see blackballing) used to record decisions made by voters in Italy around the 16th century.[2]
Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed ballots to protect the secrecy of the votes. The voter casts their ballot in a box at a polling station.
In British English, this is usually called a "ballot paper".[3] The word ballot is used for an election process within an organization (such as a trade union "holding a ballot" of its members).
The first use of paper ballots to conduct an election appears to have been in Rome in 139 BC, following the introduction of the lex Gabinia tabellaria.
In ancient India, around 920 AD, in Tamil Nadu, palm leaves were used for village assembly elections. The palm leaves with candidate names were put inside a mud pot for counting. This was called Kudavolai system.[5][6][7]
The first use of paper ballots in America was in 1629 within the Massachusetts Bay Colony to select a pastor for the Salem Church.[8] Paper ballots were pieces of paper marked and supplied by voters.
Before the introduction of the secret ballot, American political parties distributed ballots listing their own candidates for party supporters to deposit in ballot boxes.
Ancient Greek bronze secret ballots used to cast a juror's vote on a case, 3rd century BC, Ancient Agora Museum in Athens, housed in the Stoa of Attalus
Depending on the type of voting system used in the election, different ballots may be used. Ranked ballots allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, while ballots for first-past-the-post systems only allow voters to select one candidate for each position. In party-list systems, lists may be open or closed.
Voting officers visit to collect ballot papers from home
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Ballot design can aid or inhibit clarity in an election. Poor designs lead to confusion and potentially chaos if large numbers of voters spoil or mismark a ballot. The "butterfly ballot" used in the Palm Beach County, Florida 2000 U.S. presidential election (a ballot paper that has names down both sides, with a single column of punch holes in the center, which has been likened to a maze[9][10]) led to widespread allegations of mismarked ballots.[11] The ballot was designed to have a larger print, making it easier for the elderly voters of Palm Beach to read, but instead, it led to the names of candidates being alternately offset, with lines on both sides of each punch hole, creating confusion.[12]
Ballots may be tickets rather than forms, as in Israel.
In a jurisdiction using a paper system, voters choose by marking a ballot or, as in the case of Israel and France, picking one premarked ballot from among many. In most jurisdictions the ballots are preprinted with names of candidates and the text of the referendums. The Philippines (until 2007) and Japan are an exception. There, voters must write the names of their candidates on the ballot.[13] Election officials manually count the ballots after the polls close and may be recounted in the event of a dispute.
In a jurisdiction using an optical scan voting system, voters choose by filling an oval, by completing an arrow, or (as in South Korea) by stamping a box, on the printed ballot next to their chosen option. Voters with disabilities may be provided with electronic ballot marking devices. Optical scan technology has also been used by many standardized tests. Alternatively, voters could pick from one pre-marked ballot among many (similarly to the paper ballot systems in Israel and France), which would then be scanned by an optical scanner. Tabulating machines count the ballots either after the polls close or as the voters feed the ballots into the machine, in which case the results are not known until after the polls close. Officials often will manually count any ballots that cannot be read or with a write-in candidate and may recount the ballots in the event of a dispute.
In a jurisdiction using a punched card system, voters choose by removing or "punching out" a perforated chad from the ballot next each choice, sometimes with tools as simple as a pin, but usually with a ballot marking device such as the Votomatic. The ballot may be preprinted with candidates and referendums, or may be a generic ballot placed under a printed list of candidates and referendums. Tabulating machines count ballots after the polls close. Officials may manually count the ballots in the event of a dispute. Punched card voting systems are being replaced by other voting systems because of a high rate of inaccuracy related to the incomplete removal of the perforated chad and the inaccessibility to voters with disabilities.
In a jurisdiction using a mechanical voting system, often called a "voting machine", voters choose by pulling a lever next to their choice. There is a printed list of candidates, parties and referendums next to the levers indicating which lever is assigned to which choice. When the voter pulls a lever, it turns a connected gear in the machine, which turns a counter wheel. Each counter wheel shows a number, which is the number of votes cast using that lever. After the polls close, election officials check the wheels' positions and record the totals. No physical ballot is used in this system, except when the voter chooses to write-in a candidate. Other systems are replacing mechanical voting systems because they are inaccessible to disabled voters, do not have a physical ballot and are getting old.
In a jurisdiction using an electronic direct record voting system (DRE), voters choose by pushing a button next to a printed list of candidates and referendums, or by touching the candidate or referendums box on a touchscreen interface, or (as in Brazil) by inputting alphanumeric codes that correspond to candidates or positions. As the voter makes a selection, the DRE creates an electronic ballot stored by in the memory components of the system. After the polls close, the system counts the votes and reports the totals to the election officials. Many DREs include a communication device to transmit vote totals to a central tabulator. The touchscreen systems remind people of an automated teller machine (ATM) and often are described as such.
^"Ballot". Merriam-Webster. from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
^"Ballot | Origin and meaning of ballot by Online Etymology Dictionary". from the original on 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
^"Ballot". Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary. Retrieved 2012-11-07.[permanent dead link]
^"Ballot". Online Etymology Dictionary. from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
^"Panchayat Raj, Policy notes 2011-2012" (PDF). Rural development & panchayat raj department, TN Government, India. (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
^. The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2 April 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010.
^. The Hindu. Coimbatore, India. 27 June 2005. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013.
^Jones, Douglas W. 2011-09-21 at the Wayback Machine. A Brief Illustrated History of Voting 2011-09-21 at the Wayback Machine. University of Iowa 2011-10-29 at the Wayback Machine Department of Computer Science 2011-09-21 at the Wayback Machine.
^Associated Press (2003-07-14). "State: Ballot display revives chads, chaos of bungled election". Saint Petersburg Times Online Tampa Bay. from the original on 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
^. Voting Irregularities in Florida During the 2000 Presidential Election, www.usccr.gov. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
ballot, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, schola. For other uses see Ballot disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Ballot news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message A ballot is a device used to cast votes in an election and may be found as a piece of paper or a small ball used in voting 1 It was originally a small ball see blackballing used to record decisions made by voters in Italy around the 16th century 2 Each voter uses one ballot and ballots are not shared In the simplest elections a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate but governmental elections use pre printed ballots to protect the secrecy of the votes The voter casts their ballot in a box at a polling station In British English this is usually called a ballot paper 3 The word ballot is used for an election process within an organization such as a trade union holding a ballot of its members Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Types of voting systems 4 Design 5 Methods 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksEtymology editThe word ballot comes from Italian ballotta meaning a small ball used in voting or a secret vote taken by ballots in Venice Italy 4 History editIn ancient Greece citizens used pieces of broken pottery to scratch in the name of the target of the ostracism The first use of paper ballots to conduct an election appears to have been in Rome in 139 BC following the introduction of the lex Gabinia tabellaria In ancient India around 920 AD in Tamil Nadu palm leaves were used for village assembly elections The palm leaves with candidate names were put inside a mud pot for counting This was called Kudavolai system 5 6 7 The first use of paper ballots in America was in 1629 within the Massachusetts Bay Colony to select a pastor for the Salem Church 8 Paper ballots were pieces of paper marked and supplied by voters Before the introduction of the secret ballot American political parties distributed ballots listing their own candidates for party supporters to deposit in ballot boxes nbsp Ancient Greek ostraca 5th century BC Ancient Agora Museum in Athens housed in the Stoa of Attalus nbsp Ancient Greek bronze secret ballots used to cast a juror s vote on a case 3rd century BC Ancient Agora Museum in Athens housed in the Stoa of Attalus nbsp 1864 ballot of the National Union Party United States Types of voting systems editDepending on the type of voting system used in the election different ballots may be used Ranked ballots allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference while ballots for first past the post systems only allow voters to select one candidate for each position In party list systems lists may be open or closed nbsp Ballot for the 2016 election of the Australian House of Representatives using instant runoff voting Voters rank candidates in order of preference nbsp Ballot from the 2021 German federal election using mixed member proportional representation Voters choose a candidate left in black and a party right in blue nbsp Ballot from a 2015 municipal election in Austria using party list proportional representation Voters choose one party nbsp Ballot from a 2021 local election in the United Kingdom using first past the post Voters choose one candidate nbsp Voting officers visit to collect ballot papers from homeDesign editBallot design can aid or inhibit clarity in an election Poor designs lead to confusion and potentially chaos if large numbers of voters spoil or mismark a ballot The butterfly ballot used in the Palm Beach County Florida 2000 U S presidential election a ballot paper that has names down both sides with a single column of punch holes in the center which has been likened to a maze 9 10 led to widespread allegations of mismarked ballots 11 The ballot was designed to have a larger print making it easier for the elderly voters of Palm Beach to read but instead it led to the names of candidates being alternately offset with lines on both sides of each punch hole creating confusion 12 nbsp Ballots may be tickets rather than forms as in Israel nbsp Perspective view of a 2000 Palm Beach County Florida butterfly ballot nbsp Top view of the same 2000 Florida butterfly ballot nbsp Russian ballot to the 2011 State Duma elections with list of political partiesMethods editFurther information Vote counting system This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed October 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Ballot being dropped into a ballot box during the Finnish presidential electionIn a jurisdiction using a paper system voters choose by marking a ballot or as in the case of Israel and France picking one premarked ballot from among many In most jurisdictions the ballots are preprinted with names of candidates and the text of the referendums The Philippines until 2007 and Japan are an exception There voters must write the names of their candidates on the ballot 13 Election officials manually count the ballots after the polls close and may be recounted in the event of a dispute In a jurisdiction using an optical scan voting system voters choose by filling an oval by completing an arrow or as in South Korea by stamping a box on the printed ballot next to their chosen option Voters with disabilities may be provided with electronic ballot marking devices Optical scan technology has also been used by many standardized tests Alternatively voters could pick from one pre marked ballot among many similarly to the paper ballot systems in Israel and France which would then be scanned by an optical scanner Tabulating machines count the ballots either after the polls close or as the voters feed the ballots into the machine in which case the results are not known until after the polls close Officials often will manually count any ballots that cannot be read or with a write in candidate and may recount the ballots in the event of a dispute In a jurisdiction using a punched card system voters choose by removing or punching out a perforated chad from the ballot next each choice sometimes with tools as simple as a pin but usually with a ballot marking device such as the Votomatic The ballot may be preprinted with candidates and referendums or may be a generic ballot placed under a printed list of candidates and referendums Tabulating machines count ballots after the polls close Officials may manually count the ballots in the event of a dispute Punched card voting systems are being replaced by other voting systems because of a high rate of inaccuracy related to the incomplete removal of the perforated chad and the inaccessibility to voters with disabilities In a jurisdiction using a mechanical voting system often called a voting machine voters choose by pulling a lever next to their choice There is a printed list of candidates parties and referendums next to the levers indicating which lever is assigned to which choice When the voter pulls a lever it turns a connected gear in the machine which turns a counter wheel Each counter wheel shows a number which is the number of votes cast using that lever After the polls close election officials check the wheels positions and record the totals No physical ballot is used in this system except when the voter chooses to write in a candidate Other systems are replacing mechanical voting systems because they are inaccessible to disabled voters do not have a physical ballot and are getting old In a jurisdiction using an electronic direct record voting system DRE voters choose by pushing a button next to a printed list of candidates and referendums or by touching the candidate or referendums box on a touchscreen interface or as in Brazil by inputting alphanumeric codes that correspond to candidates or positions As the voter makes a selection the DRE creates an electronic ballot stored by in the memory components of the system After the polls close the system counts the votes and reports the totals to the election officials Many DREs include a communication device to transmit vote totals to a central tabulator The touchscreen systems remind people of an automated teller machine ATM and often are described as such See also editBallot box Chad paper Direct democracy Electoral fraud List of democracy and elections related topics Ostracism Sample ballot Secret ballot Vote countingReferences edit Ballot Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2012 11 13 Retrieved 2012 11 07 Ballot Origin and meaning of ballot by Online Etymology Dictionary Archived from the original on 2020 06 28 Retrieved 2020 04 02 Ballot Merriam Webster Learner s Dictionary Retrieved 2012 11 07 permanent dead link Ballot Online Etymology Dictionary Archived from the original on 2015 06 03 Retrieved 2012 11 07 Panchayat Raj Policy notes 2011 2012 PDF Rural development amp panchayat raj department TN Government India Archived PDF from the original on 3 November 2011 Retrieved 3 November 2011 Heritage in a park The Hindu Chennai India 2 April 2010 Archived from the original on 8 April 2010 Handbook on Kongu archaeological treasures The Hindu Coimbatore India 27 June 2005 Archived from the original on 23 May 2013 Jones Douglas W Archived 2011 09 21 at the Wayback Machine A Brief Illustrated History of Voting Archived 2011 09 21 at the Wayback Machine University of Iowa Archived 2011 10 29 at the Wayback Machine Department of Computer Science Archived 2011 09 21 at the Wayback Machine Associated Press 2003 07 14 State Ballot display revives chads chaos of bungled election Saint Petersburg Times Online Tampa Bay Archived from the original on 2014 09 05 Retrieved 2014 10 26 Statement of Commissioner Victoria Wilson Voting Irregularities in Florida During the 2000 Presidential Election www usccr gov Archived from the original on July 21 2011 Retrieved 2014 10 26 Dershowitz Supreme Injustice How the High Court Hijacked Election 2000 pp 22 28 ISBN 9780195148275 Cheng Alicia 2020 This is What Democracy Looked Like New York Princeton Architectural Press p 7 ISBN 9781616898878 Understanding the Japanese Election System www ny us emb japan go jp Archived from the original on 2022 08 08 Retrieved 2022 06 06 Further reading editSmith Sydney 1839 Ballot London Longman Orme Brown Green and Longmans External links edit nbsp Look up ballot in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ballot papers Ballot Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed 1911 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ballot amp oldid 1184996522, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
