Ballot

Ballot, in modern usage, a sheet of paper used in voting, usually in an electoral system that allows the voter to make choices secretly. The term may also designate the method and act of voting secretly by means of a mechanical device. Used in elections in all democratic countries, the ballot method protects voters from coercion and reprisal in the exercise of their vote. Wherever the practice of deciding questions by free vote has prevailed, some form of secret voting has always been found necessary.

In ancient Greece, the dicasts (members of high courts) voted secretly with balls, stones, or marked shells. Legislation was enacted in Rome in 139 bc establishing a system of secret voting. Long before the passage of this law, however, questions sometimes were decided in Rome in public meetings by means of the ballot. Coloured balls were used as ballots during the Middle Ages, hence the word “ballot” (derived form the Italian ballotta, a diminutive of balla, “ball”). This form has survived to modern times, particularly in clubs or associations in which voting decides the question of admitting or rejecting proposed new members. Each voter receives two balls, one white, indicating acceptance, and the other black, indicating rejection; they are then deposited secretly in appropriate receptacles so as to indicate a favourable or unfavourable decision. In some organizations, candidates for admission are rejected if any black balls are found among the white balls.

In modern times, the most common form of ballot has been the written or printed ticket. Although the ballot had been used previously by the British Parliament to conceal the voting record of its members, in 1710 the House of Lords rejected a proposal of the House of Commons providing for secret voting on matters before Parliament. The French Chamber of Deputies voted by ballot from 1840 to 1845. With the development of democracy the practice of voting secretly in legislative assemblies responsible to the people was generally abandoned.

Towards the end of the 18th century, demands were made in Great Britain that elections to Parliament be conducted by secret ballot, but the first proposal of this kind was not introduced into Parliament until 1833. The proposal was rejected, but subsequently advocates of Chartism incorporated the demand in their petitions to Parliament. Despite repeated attempts by proponents of the legislation to secure its enactment, Parliament took no effective action until 1872. In that year the Ballot Act was approved providing for secret voting at all parliamentary elections, except parliamentary elections held at universities, and at all municipal elections. Similar legislation had been previously adopted in France (1852) and Italy (1859).