Editing Ballot

{{Short description|Document used to cast votes in an election}}
{{Other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2008}}
{{Voting}}
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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballot|title=Ballot|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=2012-11-07|archive-date=2012-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113032620/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballot|url-status=live}}</ref> It was originally a small ball (see [[blackballing]]) used to record decisions made by voters in Italy around the 16th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/ballot|title=Ballot &#124; Origin and meaning of ballot by Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=2020-04-02|archive-date=2020-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628172959/https://www.etymonline.com/word/ballot|url-status=live}}</ref>

Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a [[candidate]], but [[government]]al elections use printed ballots to protect the [[secret ballot|secrecy of the votes]]. The voter casts their ballot in a [[Ballot box|box]] at a [[polling station]].

In British English, this is usually called a "ballot paper".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/ballot%5B1|title=Ballot|publisher=Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary|access-date=2012-11-07}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The word ''ballot'' is used for an election process within an organization (such as a trade union "holding a ballot" of its members).

==Etymology==
The word ballot comes from Italian ''ballotta'', meaning a "small ball used in voting" or a "secret vote taken by ballots" in [[Venice]], Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=ballot&searchmode=none|title=Ballot|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=2012-11-07|archive-date=2015-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603143552/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=ballot&searchmode=none|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
In [[ancient Greece]], citizens used [[Ostracon|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 [[Ancient Rome|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/pdf/rural_development.pdf |title=Panchayat Raj, Policy notes 2011-2012 |publisher=Rural development & panchayat raj department, TN Government, India |access-date=3 November 2011 |archive-date=3 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103174106/http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/pdf/rural_development.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heritage in a park|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/04/02/stories/2010040251170100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408080151/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/04/02/stories/2010040251170100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 April 2010|date=2 April 2010|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Handbook on Kongu archaeological treasures|url=http://www.hindu.com/lf/2005/06/27/stories/2005062701170200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523175847/http://www.hindu.com/lf/2005/06/27/stories/2005062701170200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 May 2013|date=27 June 2005|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Coimbatore, India}}</ref>

The first use of paper ballots in America was in 1629 within the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] to select a pastor for the Salem Church.<ref>[http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/ Jones, Douglas W.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921144453/http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/ |date=2011-09-21 }}. [http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/voting/pictures/ A Brief Illustrated History of Voting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921144601/http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/voting/pictures/ |date=2011-09-21 }}''[http://www.uiowa.edu/ University of Iowa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029090249/http://www.uiowa.edu/ |date=2011-10-29 }} [http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/ Department of Computer Science] ''.</ref> 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.

<gallery class="center" widths="200">
File:0 - Stoà of Attalus Museum - Ostraka for ostracism - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 9 2009.jpg|Ancient Greek [[Ostracon|ostraca]], 5th century BC, [[Ancient Agora Museum]] in Athens, housed in the [[Stoa of Attalus]]
File:Athenian Secret Ballot.jpg|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]]
File:National Union Ticket- Lincoln & Johnson (4360135844).jpg|1864 ballot of the [[National Union Party (United States)]]
</gallery>

==Types of voting systems==
Depending on the type of [[voting system]] used in the election, different ballots may be used. [[Ranked ballot]]s 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 proportional representation|party-list]] systems, lists may be [[open list|open]] or [[closed list|closed]].<gallery>
File:2016-ballot-paper-Higgins.png|Ballot for the 2016 election of the [[Australian House of Representatives]], using [[instant-runoff voting]]. Voters rank candidates in order of preference.
File:Bundestagswahl 2021 Wahlkreis 249 Stimmzettel.jpg|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).
File:Nationalratswahl in Österreich 2017 - Wahlzettel 01.jpg|Ballot from the [[2017 Austrian legislative election|2017 legislative election]] in Austria, using [[Party-list proportional representation|party list proportional representation]]. Voters choose one party.
File:Ballot paper for the 2021 United Kingdom local elections (Coventry, Westwood ward).jpg|Ballot from a [[2021 United Kingdom local elections|2021 local election]] in the United Kingdom, using [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]]. Voters choose one candidate.
File:Voting officers visit to collect ballot papers from home- 02.jpg|Voting officers visit to collect ballot papers from home
</gallery>

==Design==
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 [[2000 United States presidential election in Florida|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]]<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Associated Press
| title = State: Ballot display revives chads, chaos of bungled election
| work = Saint Petersburg Times Online Tampa Bay
| access-date = 2014-10-26
| date = 2003-07-14
| url = http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/14/news_pf/State/Ballot_display_revive.shtml
| archive-date = 2014-09-05
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140905020156/http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/14/news_pf/State/Ballot_display_revive.shtml
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Statement of Commissioner Victoria Wilson |work=Voting Irregularities in Florida During the 2000 Presidential Election, www.usccr.gov |access-date=2014-10-26 |url=http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/wilson.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721063634/http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/wilson.htm |archive-date=July 21, 2011 }}</ref>) led to widespread allegations of mismarked ballots.<ref>Dershowitz, ''[[Supreme Injustice|Supreme Injustice: How the High Court Hijacked Election 2000]]'', pp. 22–28. {{ISBN|9780195148275}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cheng |first1=Alicia |title=This is What Democracy Looked Like |date=2020 |publisher=Princeton Architectural Press |location=New York |isbn=9781616898878 |page=7}}</ref> The butterfly ballot is credited with tipping the 2000 U.S. presidential election to George W. Bush.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Butterfly Did It: The Aberrant Vote for Buchanan in Palm Beach County, Florida |url=https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/butterfly-did-it-aberrant-vote-buchanan-palm-beach-county-florida |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Stanford Graduate School of Business |language=en}}</ref> 

<gallery class="center" widths="200">
File:Kalpi israel 18.JPG|Ballots may be tickets rather than forms, as in [[Israel]].
File:Butterfly Voters View.jpg|Perspective view of a 2000 [[Palm Beach County, Florida]] "butterfly ballot"
File:Butterfly Ballot, Florida 2000 (large).jpg|Top view of the same 2000 Florida "butterfly ballot"
File:Bulleten Gosduma 2011.jpg|[[Russia]]n ballot to the [[2011 Russian legislative election|2011 State Duma elections]] with a list of [[Political parties in Russia|political parties]]
</gallery>

==Methods==
{{Further|Vote counting system}}
[[File:Election voting 20180128.jpg|thumb|Ballot being dropped into a [[ballot box]] during the [[Elections in Finland|Finnish presidential election]]]]In a jurisdiction using an all-paper system, voters choose by marking a ballot or, as in the case of [[Israel]] and [[France]], picking one premarked ballot among many. In most jurisdictions the ballots are preprinted with names of candidates and the text of the referendums. [[Japan]] is an exception, requiring voters to write candidate names on the ballot.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/c/2015/04-Apr/japaninfo-2015-04/06.html |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp |title=Understanding the Japanese Election System |archive-date=2022-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808160905/https://www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/c/2015/04-Apr/japaninfo-2015-04/06.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Election officials [[Vote counting system#Manual counting|manually count]] the ballots after the polls close and may recount them 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, similar to many standardized tests. Voters with disabilities may be provided with electronic [[ballot marking device]]s.

Alternatively, voters could pick from one pre-marked ballot among many (similar 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 will often manually count any ballots that cannot be read or with a [[write-in]] candidate and may recount all ballots in the event of a dispute.

In a jurisdiction using a [[Voting machine#Punched card|punched card system]], voters choose by removing or "punching out" a perforated [[Chad (paper)|chad]] from the ballot next to 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, or are getting old.

In a jurisdiction using an electronic [[DRE voting machine|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 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 are similar to an [[automated teller machine]] (ATM).

Most DRE voting machines in the U.S. now include an [[Voter-verified paper audit trail|auditable paper ballot]], a widely accepted best practice for election administration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=5 Proactive Steps to Foster Trust in Your Elections and Results |url=https://www.nass.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Hart-InterCivic-White-Paper-NASS-Winter23.pdf |access-date=October 10, 2024 |website=National Association of Secretaries of State}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kipp |first=Jacob |date=2018-05-09 |title=When Voting, Most of Us Leave a Paper Trail |url=https://electioninnovation.org/update/when-voting-most-leave-paper-trail/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=The Center for Election Innovation & Research |language=en-US}}</ref> After voters register their choices on the touchscreen, a paper ballot is created with the choices printed on it. The voter visually verifies that the choices are correct, then inserts the paper ballot into a secure box where ballots are accumulated for use in audits or recounts.

As of the 2024 US general election, only 1.4 percent of voters use DRE machines without a paper record, including the entire state of Louisiana.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verifier |url=https://verifiedvoting.org/verifier/#mode/navigate/map/ppEquip/mapType/normal/year/2024 |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=Verified Voting |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Ballot box]]
* [[Chad (paper)]]
* [[Direct democracy]]
* [[Electoral fraud]]
* [[List of democracy and elections-related topics]]
* [[Ostracism]]
* [[Sample ballot]]
* [[Secret ballot]]
* [[Vote counting]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Sydney |author-link=Sydney Smith|title=[[s:Ballot (Smith)|Ballot]]|year=1839|publisher=Longman, Orme, Brown, Green and Longmans|location=London}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|ballot}}
{{Commons category|Ballot papers}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Ballot |short=x}}

{{voting systems}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Elections terminology]]
[[Category:Ballots|*]]