The Spartan voting practice using shouted approval or disapproval was acclamation.
In the Spartan assembly, known as the Apella, decisions could be expressed through the volume of shouting from the participants. Officials or observers judged which response sounded stronger. This method is called acclamation because the decision was indicated publicly by vocal approval rather than by individually counted written ballots.
The Apella was composed of eligible male Spartan citizens and dealt with matters such as elections, legislation, and questions presented by the kings or the Gerousia. Its powers were important, but the agenda and proposals were heavily shaped by other institutions.
Acclamation differs from ostracism, the Athenian procedure involving inscribed pottery fragments, and from sortition, the selection of officials by lot. Modern readers should also avoid assuming that the Spartan assembly operated like a modern secret-ballot election. Its decision-making was public and communal.