popular vote

[ pop-yuh-ler voht ]

/ ˈpɒp yə lər ˈvoʊt /

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noun

the vote for a U.S. presidential candidate made by the qualified voters, as opposed to that made by the electoral college.Compare electoral vote.

the vote for a candidate, issue, etc., made by the qualified voters, as opposed to a vote made by elected representatives.

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His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of popular vote

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Words nearby popular vote

How to use popular vote in a sentence

When he did lose the popular vote in 2016 and the presidency in 2020, he claimed that those losses were unfair or the result of cheating.
What happens to an entrenched two-party system when one party undermines the system?|Philip Bump|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
They succeeded in getting it to a popular vote in Berkeley, but it was ultimately defeated.
What ‘defund the police’ really means|Simon Balto|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Had there been no pandemic, he may have still lost the popular vote, but considering how close the election was, he may have had a decent chance of winning the Electoral College.
How Much Did COVID-19 Affect The 2020 Election?|Seth Masket|January 27, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Even if they can just consistently get to even on the popular vote, they could well control all of Washington.
The case against Democrats nuking the filibuster|Aaron Blake|January 22, 2021|Washington Post

Despite such intense study, it has always been hard to prove that the King case provided the pivotal moment of such a close election, in which JFK won the popular vote by just 118,574 votes.
As MLK faced a crisis, Kennedy and Nixon made political calculations|Nick Bryant|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
MKO received the popular vote, but a military coup blocked him from taking power.
The Nigerian Women Who Fight for Democracy|Nina Strochlic|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since then, GOP nominees have won the popular vote only once.
What Do Women Want? Not the GOP|Lloyd Green|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sure, Gore won the 2000 popular vote, and many people believe he won Florida, but in Tennessee, he lost by nearly four points.
Memo to the 2016 GOP: Winning Your Home State Matters|Lloyd Green|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sure, as the unskewed polls unraveled, Mr. 47 Percent lost—with just 47 percent of the popular vote.
Why the GOP Needs a Return to the Bush Leagues|Robert Shrum|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Tuesday, the New York legislature approved a bill that would allow the Empire State to join the National Popular Vote Compact.
Could 2016 Be The Electoral College's Last Hurrah?|Ben Jacobs|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By popular vote, beginning in 1886 (except in 1898), the liquor traffic was prohibited annually.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
Calhoun's popularity with all parties resulted in his election as vice-president by a very large popular vote.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume XII|John Lord
Certainly no Southern man can object to submitting these propositions to the popular vote.
A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Convention|Lucius Eugene Chittenden
In 1898 he was made county auditor of Columbia county by popular vote and in 1910 and 1911 served as councilman at large.
Lyman's History of old Walla Walla County, Vol. 2 (of 2)|William Denison Lyman
This pretence of a popular vote called out only 40,000 names, most of which belonged to soldiers of the invading army.
The War Upon Religion|Rev. Francis A. Cunningham