Ballot facts for kids

A ballot is how people cast their votes in an election. It can be a piece of paper or, in older times, a small ball. Originally, around the 16th century in Italy, voters used small balls to make their choices.

Every voter gets one ballot. Ballots are not shared between people. In simple elections, a ballot might be a piece of paper where you write a candidate's name. However, most government elections use printed ballots. This helps keep everyone's vote a secret. Voters place their completed ballot into a special box at a polling station.

The word ballot also refers to the entire voting process within a group.

Where Did the Word "Ballot" Come From?

The word "ballot" comes from the Italian word ballotta. This word means "a small ball used in voting." It also referred to a secret vote taken with these balls in Venice, Italy.

A Look Back: The History of Ballots

Voting methods have changed a lot over time. People have used many different things to cast their votes.

Ancient Voting Methods

In ancient Greece, citizens sometimes used pieces of broken pottery called ostraca. They would scratch the name of a person they wanted to send away from the city. This process was called ostracism.

Around 920 AD in ancient India, people in Tamil Nadu used palm leaves. For village elections, they wrote candidate names on these leaves. Then, they placed the leaves into a mud pot for counting. This unique system was known as Kudavolai.

Early Paper Ballots

The first time paper ballots were used in an election was in Rome. This happened in 139 BC. It followed a new law called the lex Gabinia tabellaria.

In America, paper ballots first appeared in 1629. This was in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were used to choose a pastor for the Salem Church. These early paper ballots were simply pieces of paper that voters marked themselves.

Before the idea of a secret ballot became common, political parties in America gave out their own ballots. These ballots listed only their candidates. Supporters would then put these party-specific ballots into the ballot boxes.

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  Ancient Greek ostraca from the 5th century BC. These were used for voting in Athens.

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  Ancient Greek bronze secret ballots from the 3rd century BC. Jurors used these to vote on court cases.

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  An 1864 ballot from the National Union Party (United States).

Different Ways to Vote: Types of Ballots

The type of ballot used depends on the voting system for an election. Different systems need different ways for people to choose.

• Ranked Ballots: Some ballots let voters rank candidates. This means you put candidates in order from your favorite to your least favorite. This system is used in instant-runoff voting.
• First-Past-the-Post Ballots: In other systems, like first-past-the-post, you simply choose one candidate for each position. The candidate with the most votes wins.
• Party-List Ballots: In party-list proportional representation systems, you might vote for a political party instead of individual candidates.

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  A ballot from the 2016 Australian election. Voters ranked candidates by preference.

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  A ballot from the 2021 German federal election. Voters chose both a candidate and a party.

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  A ballot from the 2017 Austrian election. Voters chose one political party.

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  A ballot from a 2021 local election in the UK. Voters chose one candidate.

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  Voting officers collecting ballot papers from homes.

Why Ballot Design Matters

How a ballot is designed is very important. A clear design helps people vote correctly. A confusing design can lead to mistakes. If many voters mark their ballots incorrectly, it can cause problems in an election.

One famous example of a confusing design was the "butterfly ballot." This was used in Palm Beach County, Florida during the 2000 U.S. presidential election. The ballot had candidate names on both sides. A single column of punch holes was in the middle. This design looked like a maze to some voters.

The butterfly ballot was meant to have larger print for easier reading. However, the way names were placed next to the punch holes caused confusion. Many voters accidentally chose the wrong candidate. This showed how much ballot design can affect election results.

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  In Israel, ballots can look like small tickets instead of large forms.

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  A view of the "butterfly ballot" used in Palm Beach County, Florida in 2000.

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  A top view of the same confusing "butterfly ballot" from Florida in 2000.

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  A Russian ballot from the 2011 State Duma elections. It lists different political parties.

How We Vote: Modern Ballot Methods

Today, there are many ways to cast a ballot. Each method aims to make voting fair and accurate.

A ballot being dropped into a ballot box during the Finnish presidential election.

Paper Ballots and Optical Scanners

• Paper Ballots: In many places, voters mark a paper ballot. These ballots usually have candidate names and questions already printed. In some countries, like Japan, voters write the candidate's name themselves. After polls close, election officials count these ballots by hand. They might recount them if there's a disagreement.
• Optical Scan Systems: With an optical scan voting system, you fill in an oval or complete an arrow next to your choice. This is much like how you might fill out a standardized test. Special machines then scan and count these ballots. Electronic ballot marking devices can help voters with disabilities.

Punch Card and Mechanical Machines

• Punch Card Systems: Older systems used punch cards. Voters would punch out a small piece of paper, called a chad, next to their choice. Machines would then count these punched cards. These systems are being replaced. They sometimes had errors if the chad wasn't fully removed. They also weren't easy for everyone to use.
• Mechanical Voting Machines: Some places used large mechanical voting machines. Voters pulled a lever next to their chosen candidate. Each pull turned a counter inside the machine. After voting, officials read the numbers on these counters. These machines are also being replaced. They didn't provide a paper record and were not accessible for all voters.

Electronic Voting Systems

• Direct Record Electronic (DRE) Systems: These are electronic voting machines. Voters might push a button or touch a touchscreen to make their choices. In countries like Brazil, voters enter codes. The machine then creates an electronic record of the vote. After the election, the system counts the votes and reports the totals.
• Paper Audit Trails: Many DRE machines now create a paper record. After you make your choices on the screen, a paper ballot prints out. You can check this paper to make sure your choices are correct. Then, you place the paper ballot into a secure box. This paper record helps with audits and recounts. As of the 2024 US general election, most voters used machines with a paper record.

Learn More

• Ballot box
• Direct democracy
• Ostracism
• Sample ballot
• Secret ballot
• Vote counting