BLACKBALL

blackball, a token used for voting by ballot against the election of a candidate for membership of a club or other association. formerly white and black balls about the size of pigeons' eggs were used respectively to represent votes for and against a candidate for such election; and although this method is now generally obsolete, the term "blackball" survives both as noun and verb. the rules of most clubs provide that a stated proportion of "blackballs" shall exclude candidates proposed for election, and the candidates so excluded are said to have been "blackballed"; but the ballot (q.v.) is now usually conducted by a method in which the favourable and adverse votes are not distinguished by different coloured balls at all. either voting papers are employed, or balls--of which the colour has no significance--are cast into different compartments of a ballot-box according as they are favourable or adverse to the candidate.