Ballot

A ballot is a system used to cast votes in an election and may be found as a piece of paper or a small ball used in secret voting.^[1] It was invented in Italy around the 16th century.^[2]

Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot might be a scrap of paper. The voter casts their ballot in a box at a polling station.

In British English, this is usually called a "ballot paper".^[3]

References

1. "Ballot". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
2. "Ballot | Origin and meaning of ballot by Online Etymology Dictionary".
3. "Ballot". Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary. Retrieved 2012-11-07.^{[permanent dead link]}