Ballot

A ballot, even ballot is

Germany

Federal Elections

In the elections to the German Bundestag, each voter has a first and a second vote. The first vote is for the direct candidates in each constituency. The candidates are printed on the ballot on the left. The second vote is printed for the party and on the ballot right. First, the parties already represented in parliament parties are listed on the ballot. The order of the parties on the ballot is clear from the results of the last general election in the respective state ( even if they are not collected in the Bundestag ). After that, the state lists of other parties are listed alphabetically. Independent candidates are also listed in alphabetical order at the end of the list.

Elections to the council, the staff council and similar options

In addition to political elections and the operational stakeholders in the private sector ( council) and public services ( Staff ) will be elected by secret ballot (for details on the council election ) in Germany. For ballots contained in § 11 paragraph 2 of the electoral rules for the operation of constitutional law a provision which can be generalized: " The ballots ... must all have the same size, color, texture and marking. " This indistinguishability of the issued ballot is one of the most important prerequisites for the requirement of a secret ballot will be able to actually meet.

Austria

In Austria, a distinction is made between an official ballots and a non- official ballot:

• Official ballot: This is output even pre-printed by the authority in the election. Among the candidates are presented with a possibility of ranking or deletion, respectively. The ballots must be counted both at the start of the election as well as end of dialing. Official ballots are provided at each election.
• Not official ballot: Both blank sheets and forms of campaigning parties or candidates may be used. What is more difficult thereby counting, as also may find several of paper in an envelope, which may only be counted as one vote but. The use in the state elections or local elections is different and depends on the provinces.

Ballot without form

In some countries ballots are used for elections people who profess no choice, but instead are filled in by the voters with a name. In Switzerland ballots are without form in majority system, for example, for many cantonal governments, filled out by voters with the name of the candidate.

In elections in Japan ballots are usually printed with a rectangle surrounding the voter writes the name of candidates to be elected or in the proportional representation at the national level, the preferred party list. Only the confirmation of judges of the Supreme Court is always on lists to tick.

Even in elections to the Congress of the Philippines, in Sweden and in local elections in Germany, where there are no ready candidates, some " blank votes " no specified options are used.

Some ballots with pre-printed list include an option " none of the above " (English none of the above, briefly NOTA ) which additionally allows the voter to specify a name not shown on the list. In the United States are explicitly provided, for example in many primaries at the subnational level, such write- in candidates.

History

In ancient Greece, pottery shards were used, in which a name was engraved. Hence the name came ostracism.