Pinakion

pinakia) was a small bronze or wooden plate used as a form of citizen's token.

Pinakia for candidates for political office or for jury membership were designed to be inserted into randomization machines (kleroteria) so votes could be as accurate as possible to a wider community.

These early methods included dropping pebbles in labelled vases and voting by raising hands.

After the votes were cast, a pre-selected group of jurors counted them and reported the results.

[3] A dikastic pinakion had to be returned to the government after use, and the engravings were removed so the bronze could be reinscribed with the name of somebody else.