n. [ F. ballotte, fr. It. ballotta. See Ball round body. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Originally, a ball used for secret voting. Hence: Any printed or written ticket used in voting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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 +PJC ]

The insufficiency of the ballot. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The whole number of votes cast at an election, or in a given territory or electoral district. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. the official list of candidates competing in an election. There are no women on the ballot. [ 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.” [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Balloted; p. pr. & vb. n. Balloting. ] [ 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 ]

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. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ballottade, fr. ballotter to toss. See Ballot, v. i. ] (Man.) A leap of a horse, as between two pillars, or upon a straight line, so that when his four feet are in the air, he shows only the shoes of his hind feet, without jerking out. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ballottage. ] In France, a second ballot taken after an indecisive first ballot to decide between two or several candidates; a runoff election. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. Voting by ballot. [ Obs. ] Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who votes by ballot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] An officer who has charge of a ballot box. [ Obs. ] Harrington. [ 1913 Webster ]