Legal Definitions - joint ballot

A joint ballot occurs when two or more separate legislative bodies, or houses, convene together to cast a single vote on a particular matter, such as electing an official or deciding on a specific issue. Instead of each body voting independently and then reconciling their decisions, they combine into one assembly for the purpose of that specific vote.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Electing a State Treasurer
  In some U.S. states, if the election for a state treasurer results in a tie or no candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, the state's House of Representatives and Senate might meet in a joint session. During this session, the members of both chambers would cast a single vote together to elect the treasurer. This demonstrates a joint ballot because the two distinct legislative bodies (House and Senate) are combining their voting power into one unified process to make a single decision.

• Example 2: Confirming a High Court Judge
  Imagine a country with a bicameral parliament (two houses). If the constitution requires that certain high-level judicial appointments, like a Supreme Court justice, must be confirmed by a joint vote of both the upper and lower houses of parliament, then the members of both houses would gather in a single assembly. They would then collectively vote on the nominee. This is a joint ballot because the confirmation decision is made by the combined vote of both legislative chambers, rather than separate votes in each house.

• Example 3: Selecting a University Regent
  Consider a state where the board of regents for the state university system is partially elected by the legislature. If the state law mandates that the members of the State Assembly and the State Senate must meet together to elect a specific regent position, all members from both chambers would participate in a single voting process. This scenario illustrates a joint ballot because the two separate legislative bodies are acting as one unified electoral college to choose the regent.