ballot vs polls

ballot

noun
  • The total of all the votes cast in an election. 

  • The process of voting, especially in secret; a round of voting. 

  • A list of candidates running for office; a ticket. 

  • Originally, a small ball placed in a container to cast a vote; now, by extension, a piece of paper or card used for this purpose, or some other means used to signify a vote. 

verb
  • To draw lots. 

  • To vote or decide by ballot. 

polls

noun
  • A place where votes are cast in elections. 

How often have the words ballot and polls occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )