Wat (wie) is BALLOTS - definitie
![Finnish presidential election]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Election voting 20180128.jpg?width=200 "Finnish presidential election]]")
![ostraca]], 5th century BC, [[Ancient Agora Museum]] in Athens, housed in the [[Stoa of Attalus]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/0 - Stoà of Attalus Museum - Ostraka for ostracism - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 9 2009.jpg?width=200 "ostraca]], 5th century BC, [[Ancient Agora Museum]] in Athens, housed in the [[Stoa of Attalus]]")
![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]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Athenian Secret Ballot.jpg?width=200 "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]]")
![1864 ballot of the [[National Union Party (United States)]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/National Union Ticket- Lincoln & Johnson (4360135844).jpg?width=200 "1864 ballot of the [[National Union Party (United States)]]")
![Ballot for the 2016 election of the [[Australian House of Representatives]], using [[instant-runoff voting]]. Voters rank candidates in order of preference.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/2016-ballot-paper-Higgins.png?width=200 "Ballot for the 2016 election of the [[Australian House of Representatives]], using [[instant-runoff voting]]. Voters rank candidates in order of preference.")
![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).](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Bundestagswahl 2021 Wahlkreis 249 Stimmzettel.jpg?width=200 "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).")
![party list proportional representation]]. Voters choose one party.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Amtlicher Stimmzettel für die Bezirksvertretung Bezirk Wieden (2015).png?width=200 "party list proportional representation]]. Voters choose one party.")
![first-past-the-post]]. Voters choose one candidate.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Ballot paper for the 2021 United Kingdom local elections (Coventry, Westwood ward).jpg?width=200 "first-past-the-post]]. Voters choose one candidate.")
![Ballots may be tickets rather than forms, as in [[Israel]].](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Kalpi israel 18.JPG?width=200 "Ballots may be tickets rather than forms, as in [[Israel]].")
![Perspective view of a 2000 [[Palm Beach County, Florida]] "butterfly ballot"](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Butterfly Voters View.jpg?width=200 "Perspective view of a 2000 [[Palm Beach County, Florida]] \"butterfly ballot\"")
.jpg?width=200 "Top view of the same 2000 Florida \"butterfly ballot\"")
![political parties]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Bulleten Gosduma 2011.jpg?width=200 "political parties]]")
Wikipedia
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 secret voting. It was originally a small ball (see blackballing) used to record decisions made by voters in Italy around the 16th century.
Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed ballots to protect the secrecy of the votes. The voter casts their ballot in a box at a polling station.
In British English, this is usually called a "ballot paper". The word ballot is used for an election process within an organization (such as a trade union "holding a ballot" of its members).
