What does ballot mean?
Word: Ballot
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Ballot means a secret way of choosing a person or deciding something, or the paper on which each person marks their choice.
Synonyms: poll
Word origin: From Italian ballotta, 'little ball', because people once made their choice by dropping small balls into a box.
How do you spell ballot?
Syllables: bal - lot
Tricky part: The l is doubled. Do not end the word with et: that spells ballet, the dance.
Watch out for: balot, ballut, ballat
Memory tip: Picture people dropping a little ball into a box, as they once did when choosing a leader: the word begins with ball.
Ballot in a sentence
Example 1: The class elected its captain by secret ballot.
Example 2: Each member folded the ballot paper and dropped it into the box.
Example 3: The club will hold a ballot to choose the new logo.
Fun Fact
Brazil has used electronic voting machines instead of paper ballots across the whole country since its 2000 elections.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our house captain was chosen by ballot, and the result was read out in the assembley.
a) captain
b) assembley
c) ballot
d) result
Show answer
b) assembley. Assembly ends in a plain y, with no e before it.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: ballot
a) speech
b) vote
c) rally
d) poster
Show answer
b) vote. People cast their vote on a ballot paper, so the two words go together.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
lbtloa
a) atoll
b) bloat
c) ballot
d) allot
Show answer
c) ballot. Bloat is one l short, while allot and atoll have no place for the b.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A secret ballot means that ____.
a) the vote is held at night
b) the result is never announced
c) only a few people can vote
d) nobody else knows how you voted
Show answer
d) nobody else knows how you voted
2. What is usually decided by a ballot?
a) who leads the students' council
b) who wins a running race
c) the order of the alphabet
d) the time of sunrise tomorrow
Show answer
a) who leads the students' council
