straw poll

British  

noun

1. an unofficial poll or vote taken to determine the opinion of a group or the public on some issue

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straw poll Cultural  

1. Originally, a small, informal opinion survey. Today, a straw poll is generally a large-scale, scientifically determined public opinion survey based on a random sample of the population. Straw polls are commonly used to test public opinion of candidates running for office.

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Example Sentences

A straw poll among neutrals at half-time at Wembley would have come down firmly on the side of a Real victory, even though they had been abysmal.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2024

Ms. Noem and Mr. Ramaswamy each garnered 15 percent of the vote in the straw poll.

From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2024

A Reuters straw poll of two dozen voters around the country found many with little enthusiasm for any party and torn between what they viewed as the least bad choice.

From Reuters • Jul. 21, 2023

I conducted a straw poll on one of my mum’s WhatsApp groups.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2023

More than 2,000 activists attended the summit and were invited to vote in the straw poll, said Students for Life Action president Kristan Hawkins.

From Washington Times • Jan. 22, 2023