How is a choice recorded on the ballot?

Correct answer: Beside the election symbol

Direct answer: A, beside the election symbol. In the traditional ballot-paper method, the ballot lists the candidates, usually with their names and election symbols. The voter identifies the preferred candidate and marks the prescribed space beside that candidate’s symbol, following the polling instructions. That mark records the voter’s choice for counting. A is correct because the symbol helps voters identify the candidate and the mark is placed in the corresponding space. B is wrong because a report card records academic performance, not an election choice. C is wrong because a map represents places and has no role in recording a vote. D is wrong because a receipt proves a transaction and is not an election ballot. In present-day elections, many votes are recorded electronically through an EVM, but the question specifically asks about a ballot. Memory cue: ballot means candidate list plus a mark beside the chosen symbol.