Blackballing is a voting process used by secret gentlemen’s clubs to include or exclude new members. A single black ball can disqualify a candidate, and it can also be used to purge established members. The practice dates back to ancient Greece and can also refer to not hiring someone due to their reputation. It can be vindictive, but organizations take steps to ensure the voting majority prevails.
The practice known as blackballing refers to a voting process used to include or exclude new candidates for membership in secret gentlemen’s clubs such as the Elks, Eagles or Masons. Under cover of obscurity or some other method of concealment, voters would place either a white ball or a black ball into a common ballot box. Depending on the voting rules established by the organization, a single black ball could disqualify a candidate from membership or a certain percentage of black balls would have to be reached.
Blackballing is generally viewed as an anonymous, unambiguous voting process that leaves no doubt about the outcome, but protects individual voters from being punished for a negative outcome. Some fraternal organizations, such as the Freemasons, use a black cube instead of a ball to eliminate any possible misinterpretation of the vow. Blackballing can also be used to purge established members who have been accused of rule violations or other behavior considered harmful to the integrity of the organization.
The origins of blackballing are said to date back to the ancient Greeks, who used light or dark shells as ballot papers. The Greek name for these shells, ostrakon, forms the root of the English word ostracize, which literally means to avoid undesirable members of a society or group. Blackballing during ancient times often meant a complete stripping of all rights and privileges, as well as the further humiliation of being exiled from the community.
In the modern sense, blackballing can refer to an unspoken practice of not hiring an employee who has been fired from another company under controversial or contentious circumstances. That employee may find himself unable to find other local businesses willing to hire someone whose reputation precedes him. Some incidents of corporate or social blackballing may be retaliatory or abusive in nature, while others are intended to warn potential employers or clients. It can be very difficult for a person who has been banned to regain their credibility or reputation.
Blackballing can be a vindictive practice or an abuse of the collective voting power, but many organizations take steps to ensure that a single no vote does not overrule the general will of the voting majority. A second ballot may be made at a later date, or a private discussion among the voters could lead to a reversal of the original blackball decision.
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