committee voting box 1880s that used black balls to allow a secret veto of candidates A large supply of black and white balls is provided for voters. Each voter audibly casts a single ball into the
ballot box under cover of the box, or of a combination of a cloth and the box itself, so that observers can see who votes but not how they are voting. When all voting is complete, the box is opened and the balls displayed: all present can immediately see the result, without any means of knowing which members are objecting. The number of votes in support is often irrelevant, except to prove a
quorum. Whilst in many such cases even a single black ball will be fatal to the election, rules in larger clubs ensure that a single member cannot exercise a veto to the detriment of the future of the club. For example, two black balls are required to exclude; a limited category or committee of members vote, rather than all members; or in the event of a blackball, the election may be repeated immediately to ensure that there is no mistake, or after a fixed period to allow further information or opinions to be discussed discreetly. A variant sometimes used is that all incoming candidates are voted on as a group; if the group as a whole is blackballed, then each member must be voted on individually. The practice also found popularity in areas outside of
social clubs. In the
Soviet Union, dissertation panels would typically cast their vote on a
thesis defense using this system. ''
Robert's Rules of Order'' notes that the use of black and white balls can be ordered by passing an
incidental motion to that effect. The manual notes, "This custom, however, is apparently declining." The term still remains in use for many different electoral systems which have applied from club to club and from time to time: for example, instead of differently coloured balls, ballot-balls may be dropped into separate "yes" or "no" drawers inside the ballot box. In some Masons' lodges, a black cube is used instead of a black ball. ==An example ==