From Latin 'votum' (a vow, a sacred pledge) — originally a solemn vow to the gods, not a political act.
A formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or show of hands.
From Latin 'vōtum' (a vow, a wish, a prayer, a solemn pledge), the past participle of 'vovēre' (to vow, to dedicate, to promise solemnly), from PIE *h₁wogʷh- (to speak solemnly, to vow). A vote was originally a solemn vow or prayer -- a sacred pledge made to the gods. The meaning shifted from religious vow to formal expression of choice during the sixteenth