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.
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
Monterey Park became the first city in the country earlier this month to permanently ban data centers by a popular vote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
It still won 26 million votes, only about three million fewer than the BJP, and retained roughly 40% of the popular vote.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
That November, my home state became one of the first in the country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
“It’s an outrage!” says McGuinty, leaning slightly toward Norma now that he sees he’s got the popular vote.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
