ballot box

noun

1
: a box for receiving ballots
2
Phrases
stuff the ballot box
chiefly US
: to attempt to control the outcome of an election by having multiple illegitimate votes cast in support of the desired candidate
They said the vote-rigging included stuffing ballot boxes, buying votes and absent names on the voter rolls.Sonia Verma
By a margin of just 277 votes (some say ballot boxes were stuffed), Brooklyn, the nation's fourth-largest city, had voted to give up its proud and independent history.James Sterngold

Examples of ballot box in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Plus, 20% of the collection’s proceeds will be donated to Vote.org, which is a non-profit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to eliminating barriers between voters and the ballot box. Shelby Ying Hyde, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024 Trump has stoked fears about people, including undocumented immigrants, illegitimately gaining access to ballot boxes. Kathleen Hunter, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 Students participated in a relay race to the ballot box, a mock election with sample 2024 ballots, and a tug of war meant to illustrate how the number of people on each side can sway the outcome of a contest. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024 While the judiciary wields significant power over the future of student loan debt relief, voters will soon have influence at the ballot box: student loan forgiveness could be handled very differently depending on who the country elects as its next President. Solcyré Burga, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ballot box 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ballot box.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballot box was circa 1677

Dictionary Entries Near ballot box

Cite this Entry

“Ballot box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballot%20box. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on ballot box

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