ballot candy

noun

The pairing of a controversial proposal with a more popular one in a ballot measure to increase the measure's chances of being approved by voters.

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Meanings

nounballot candy (uncountable)
  1. USinformaluncountablegovernmentThe pairing of a controversial proposal with a more popular one in a ballot measure to increase the measure's chances of being approved by voters.

    And ballot candy doesn’t always work. Missouri voters soundly rejected a gas tax hike in 2018 despite it being sold as a way to increase funding for law enforcement.

    2023 February 3, Jason Hancock, “‘Ballot candy?’ Missouri GOP adds citizen-only voting into initiative petition changes”, in Missouri Independent, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2023
Cite this entry
APA

ballot candy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballot%20candy

MLA

“ballot candy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballot%20candy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ballot candy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballot%20candy.

Source: ballot candy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.