short ballot

noun

: a ballot limiting the number of elective offices to the most important legislative and executive posts and leaving minor positions to be filled by appointment

Examples of short ballot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a strange reversal of a longstanding trend with the Academy, this year’s documentary short ballot is almost entirely domestic (which is to say, films made by or about Americans), while the feature doc category — where subtitles aren’t so common — is entirely international. Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 About half a dozen poll workers said this election has been particularly slow, likely because of the short ballot and bad weather. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 16 May 2023 On Tuesday, a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge ruled that Metro did not have to mention in its official short ballot explanation that the payroll tax is not temporary. oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short ballot was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near short ballot

Cite this Entry

“Short ballot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20ballot. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on short ballot

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!