1.Originally, a ball used for secret voting. Hence: Any printed or written ticket used in voting.
2.The act of secret voting, whether by balls, written or printed ballots or tickets, or by use of a voting machine; the system of voting secretly. "The insufficiency of the ballot."
3.The whole number of votes cast at an election, or in a given territory or electoral district.
4.The official list of candidates competing in an election. "There are no women on the ballot."
Ballot box, (a)a box for receiving ballots.
(b)the act, process or system of voting secretly; same as ballot (2). "The question will be resolved by the ballot box." 
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