polling

American  

[pohl-ing] / ˈpoʊl ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of conducting a poll, such as an opinion survey; the industry of conducting polls.

2. the act or process of casting or recording votes in an election.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the casting, recording, or conducting of a vote or poll.

polling British  

/ ˈpəʊlɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the casting or registering of votes at an election

   2. ( as modifier )

      polling day

2. the conducting of a public opinion poll

3. computing the automatic interrogation of terminals by a central controlling machine to determine if they are ready to receive or transmit messages

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Other Word Forms

• pre-polling noun
• re-polling noun

Example Sentences

Postal delays can affect ballots mailed by elderly voters, rural voters, or voters who lack reliable transportation to polling places.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Current polling averages show his chief rival, Péter Magyar of the Respect and Freedom Party, more commonly referred to as Tisza, with a healthy 15-point lead that has held for most of the past year.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Lewis will also have to introduce himself to many former NDP voters who told polling firm Angus Reid that they could not name any of the candidates in the party's leadership race.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Research and polling suggests Latino voters prioritize cost-of-living issues — such as housing, wages and inflation — over immigration, a topic often emphasized in national messaging.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

I explained that I got this idea from the polling my friend Dick Dresner had done for the movie industry.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• election
• plebiscite
• poll
• referendum
• slate
• tally
• ticket