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39-415: 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

78-404: A spoiler effect . Many U.S. states and municipalities allow for write-in votes in a partisan primary election where no candidate is listed on the ballot to have the same functional effect as nominating petitions: for example, if there are no Reform Party members on the ballot for state general assembly and a candidate receives more than 200 write-in votes when the primary election is held (or

117-485: A ballot. The "butterfly ballot" used in the Palm Beach County, Florida 2000 U.S. presidential election (a ballot paper that has names down both sides, with a single column of punch holes in the center, which has been likened to a maze ) led to widespread allegations of mismarked ballots. The ballot was designed to have a larger print, making it easier for the elderly voters of Palm Beach to read, but instead, it led to

156-466: A box, on the printed ballot next to their chosen option, similar to many standardized tests. Voters with disabilities may be provided with electronic ballot marking devices . Alternatively, voters could pick from one pre-marked ballot among many (similarly to the paper ballot systems in Israel and France ), which would then be scanned by an optical scanner. Tabulating machines count the ballots either after

195-424: A candidate listed on the ballot who was removed, withdrew or died; Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, Oklahoma and South Dakota do not allow any write-in votes. Most of the jurisdictions allowing write-in votes require that the write-in candidates register by a certain date for their votes to be counted. Typically this registration consists only of a declaration of candidacy, but some states also require signatures of

234-646: A certain number of voters, additional paperwork or fees. The deadline to register as a write-in candidate is usually later than to petition to be listed on the ballot. In 2010, California voters passed Proposition 14 which set up a new election system for the United States Senate , United States House of Representatives , all statewide offices ( governor , lieutenant governor , secretary of state , state treasurer , state controller , attorney general , insurance commissioner , and superintendent of public instruction ), California Board of Equalization , and for

273-416: A high rate of inaccuracy related to the incomplete removal of the perforated chad and the inaccessibility to voters with disabilities. In a jurisdiction using a mechanical voting system, often called a "voting machine", voters choose by pulling a lever next to their choice. There is a printed list of candidates, parties and referendums next to the levers indicating which lever is assigned to which choice. When

312-410: A paper record, including the entire state of Louisiana. Candidate A candidate , or nominee , is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: " Nomination " is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office by a political party, or the bestowing of an honor or award. This person

351-457: A physical ballot, or are getting old. In a jurisdiction using an electronic direct record voting system (DRE), voters choose by pushing a button next to a printed list of candidates and referendums, or by touching the candidate or referendums box on a touchscreen interface, or (as in Brazil ) by inputting alphanumeric codes that correspond to candidates or positions. As the voter makes a selection,

390-432: A widely accepted best practice for election administration. After voters register their choices on the touchscreen, a paper ballot is created with the choices printed on it. The voter visually verifies that the choices are correct, then inserts the paper ballot into a secure box where ballots are accumulated for use in audits or recounts. As of the 2024 US general election, only 1.4 percent of voters use DRE machines without

429-584: Is a derivative of the Latin candidus (‘shining white’). In ancient Rome , men seeking political office would usually wear the toga candida , a toga chalked and bleached to be bright white at speeches , debates , conventions , and other public functions . Individuals who wish to be received into the membership of the Catholic Church who have been baptized in another mainstream Christian denomination are known as candidates ; their reception into

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468-419: Is called a "nominee", though nominee often is used interchangeably with "candidate". A presumptive nominee is a person or organization believes that the nomination is inevitable or likely. The act of being a candidate in a race for either a party nomination or for electoral office is called a "candidacy". Presumptive candidate may be used to describe someone who is predicted to be a formal candidate. Candidate

507-418: Is listed on the ballot. Since in each race the top two vote-getters from the first round are guaranteed to advance to the second round, if only one candidate is listed on the ballot, a write-in candidate can easily advance to the second round, as the write-in candidate would only have to compete with other write-in candidates for the second spot, not with any listed candidates. In some jungle primary systems, if

546-579: Is used for an election process within an organization (such as a trade union "holding a ballot" of its members). The word ballot comes from Italian ballotta , meaning a "small ball used in voting" or a "secret vote taken by ballots" in Venice , Italy. In ancient Greece , citizens used pieces of broken pottery to scratch in the name of the target of the ostracism . The first use of paper ballots to conduct an election appears to have been in Rome in 139 BC, following

585-521: Is used in elections in which names of candidates or parties are preprinted on a paper ballot or displayed on an electronic voting machine. The term is not generally used in elections in which all ballots are blank and thus all voters must write in the names of their preferred candidates. Blank ballot election systems reduce the cost of printing the ballots, but increase the complexity of casting and counting votes. Such systems are used in Japan , and were used in

624-568: The California State Legislature . In the system set up by Proposition 14, there are two rounds of voting, and the top two vote-getters for each race in the first round (the primary, held in June 2004 – 2018 and March 2020–present) advance to a second round (the general election, held in November). Proposition 14 specifically prohibits write-in candidates in the second round, and this prohibition

663-570: The Catholic Church is done through a profession of faith , followed by the reception of Holy Communion and Confirmation . In contrast, those persons who have never received the sacrament of baptism are, as a matter of Catholic canon law , considered non-Christians and if they are preparing to become a member of the Catholic Church (through the church process called the Christian Initiation of Adults , they are known as catechumens . In

702-478: The DRE creates an electronic ballot stored by in the memory components of the system. After the polls close, the system counts the votes and reports the totals to the election officials. Many DREs include a communication device to transmit vote totals to a central tabulator. The touchscreen systems are similar to an automated teller machine (ATM). Most DRE voting machines in the U.S. now include an auditable paper ballot ,

741-563: The District of Columbia, to apply to their voters. Some U.S. states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker, with the write-in candidate's name, to the ballot in lieu of actually writing in the candidate's name. Write-in candidacies are sometimes a result of a candidate being legally or procedurally ineligible to run under their own name or party; write-in candidacies may be permitted where term limits bar an incumbent candidate from being officially nominated for, or being listed on

780-494: The United States, there are variations in laws governing write-in candidates, depending on the office (federal or local) and whether the election is a primary election or the general election; general practice is an empty field close by annotated to explain its purpose on the ballot if it applies. In five U.S. states there are no elections to which it can apply, under their present laws. Election laws are enacted by each state and in

819-576: The ballot for, re-election. They are also typically used when a candidate, often an incumbent has lost a primary election but still wishes to contest the general election. In some cases, write-in campaigns have been organized to support a candidate who is not personally involved in running; this may be a form of draft campaign. Write-in candidates have won elections on rare occasions. Also, write-in votes are sometimes cast for ineligible people or fictional characters . Some jurisdictions require write-in candidates be registered as official candidates before

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858-542: The ballot next each choice, sometimes with tools as simple as a pin, but usually with a ballot marking device such as the Votomatic. The ballot may be preprinted with candidates and referendums, or may be a generic ballot placed under a printed list of candidates and referendums. Tabulating machines count ballots after the polls close. Officials may manually count the ballots in the event of a dispute. Punched card voting systems are being replaced by other voting systems because of

897-491: The ballots are preprinted with names of candidates and the text of the referendums. Japan is an exception, requiring voters to write candidate names on the ballot. Election officials manually count the ballots after the polls close and may recount them in the event of a dispute. In a jurisdiction using an optical scan voting system , voters choose by filling an oval, by completing an arrow, or (as in South Korea ) by stamping

936-439: The candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be possible to win an election by winning a sufficient number of such write-in votes, which count equally as if the person were formally listed on the ballot. Writing in a name that is not already on the election ballot is considered a practice of the United States. However, some other jurisdictions have allowed this practice. In

975-459: The context of elections for public office in a representational partisan democracy, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party. The party's selection (that is, the nomination) is typically accomplished either based on one or more primary elections according to the rules of the party and any applicable election laws . Candidates are called " incumbents " if they are already serving in

1014-405: The election. This is standard in elections with a large pool of potential candidates, as there may be multiple candidates with the same name that could be written in. In some cases, the number of write-in votes cast in an election is greater than the entire margin of victory, suggesting that the write-ins may have been sufficient to tip the balance and change the outcome of the election by creating

1053-411: The general election ballot as an independent candidate or to have write-in votes counted vary by state and by political office sought. As of 2024, 40 states and the District of Columbia allow write-in votes on their ballots, including for president; Alaska, New Mexico and South Carolina allow write-in candidates for some offices but not for president; Mississippi allows write-in votes only to substitute

1092-620: The head of an electoral list is called the Spitzenkandidat ("lead candidate"). By convention, this means that this person (normally the party leader ) will be elected to lead the government if their party wins the election. Various other countries with a parliamentary democracy have the same system. In 2014, the major groups represented in the European Parliament and the European Council agreed to apply this process to determine

1131-703: The introduction of the lex Gabinia tabellaria . In ancient India , around 920 AD, in Tamil Nadu , palm leaves were used for village assembly elections. The palm leaves with candidate names were put inside a mud pot for counting. This was called Kudavolai system. The first use of paper ballots in America was in 1629 within the Massachusetts Bay Colony to select a pastor for the Salem Church. Paper ballots were pieces of paper marked and supplied by voters. Before

1170-657: The introduction of the secret ballot , American political parties distributed ballots listing their own candidates for party supporters to deposit in ballot boxes. Depending on the type of voting system used in the election, different ballots may be used. Ranked ballots allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, while ballots for first-past-the-post systems only allow voters to select one candidate for each position. In party-list systems, lists may be open or closed . Ballot design can aid or inhibit clarity in an election. Poor designs lead to confusion and potentially chaos if large numbers of voters spoil or mismark

1209-406: The names of candidates being alternately offset, with lines on both sides of each punch hole, creating confusion. The butterfly ballot is credited with tipping the 2000 U.S. presidential election to George W. Bush. In a jurisdiction using an all-paper system, voters choose by marking a ballot or, as in the case of Israel and France , picking one premarked ballot among many. In most jurisdictions

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1248-632: The next President of the European Commission , as a way of the Council "taking account of the results of the European Parliament election" as required by the Union treaties. This led to the appointment and confirmation of Jean-Claude Juncker . Write-in A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for

1287-399: The office for which they are seeking re-election, or "challengers", if they are seeking to replace an incumbent. In the context of elections for public office in a direct democracy , a candidate can be nominated by any eligible person—and if parliamentary procedures are used, the nomination has to be seconded, i.e., receive agreement from a second person. In German politics , the person at

1326-468: The other number of signatures that were required for ballot access), the candidate will be placed on the ballot on that ballot line for the general election. In most places, this provision is in place for non-partisan elections as well. A write-in option may occasionally be available in a multiple-choice referendum ; for example in the January 1982 Guamanian status referendum . The term "write-in candidate"

1365-630: The past in the French Second Republic and in elections in the Philippines from World War II until the 2010 general election . Some systems use a semi-blank ballot, such as Finland, where the voter must fill in a candidate's given number or letter from a separate ballot, but where there is a clear-cut arrangement with a circle or box with a description of how to vote for a given candidate. Blank-ballot systems typically require candidates to be nominated in advance. The requirements to appear on

1404-410: The polls close or as the voters feed the ballots into the machine, in which case the results are not known until after the polls close. Officials will often manually count any ballots that cannot be read or with a write-in candidate and may recount all ballots in the event of a dispute. In a jurisdiction using a punched card system , voters choose by removing or "punching out" a perforated chad from

1443-489: The voter pulls a lever, it turns a connected gear in the machine, which turns a counter wheel. Each counter wheel shows a number, which is the number of votes cast using that lever. After the polls close, election officials check the wheels' positions and record the totals. No physical ballot is used in this system, except when the voter chooses to write-in a candidate. Other systems are replacing mechanical voting systems because they are inaccessible to disabled voters, do not have

1482-418: The winner in the first round wins by more than 50% of the vote, then the second (runoff) round gets cancelled, but in the system set up by Proposition 14, a second (runoff) round is required regardless of the percent of the vote that the winner of the first round received. Proposition 14 therefore guarantees that if only one candidate is listed on the ballot in the first round, a write-in candidate running against

1521-465: Was upheld in a court challenge. Another court challenge to the prohibition on write-in candidates in the second round was filed in July 2014. Although Proposition 14 prohibits write-in candidates in the second round of voting, it has created conditions that can make it easier for write-in candidates in the first round to advance to the second round. This generally happens in elections where only one candidate

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