popular vote
Americannoun
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the vote for a U.S. presidential candidate made by the qualified voters, as opposed to that made by the Electoral College.
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the vote for a candidate, issue, etc., made by the qualified voters, as opposed to a vote made by elected representatives.
Etymology
Origin of popular vote
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Monterey Park became the first city in the country in June to permanently ban data centers by a popular vote, and at least four other San Gabriel Valley cities have enacted moratoriums.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Twelve years later, although he received 16.6% of the popular vote, the third-party run of progressive Robert LaFollette was less consequential; he only carried Wisconsin and its 13 electoral votes.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
In a leafy eastern district of the capital on Tuesday, around 300 pro-Machado demonstrators reiterated their demand for a popular vote to be held.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Yet when the 1896 presidential election pitted the soft-money populist, William Jennings Bryan, against William McKinley, the hard-money Republican, McKinley won the electoral majority, 271 to 176, and the popular vote, 51% to 46.7%, besides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
The Council of Elders languished in prison, and new council members were elected by popular vote.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
