The term 'defeat by ballot' refers to the act of being outvoted, routed, edged, or voted down in an election. Outvote is a 7-letter word meaning to cast more votes than someone else in an election. ROUT is a 4-letter word meaning to defeat decisively. EDGE is a 4-letter word meaning to gain an advantage over someone else. VOTE is a 4-letter word meaning to express one's opinion or preference in an election. Together, these words describe the concept of being defeated in an election by having fewer votes than one's opponent.