voter

American  

[voh-ter] / ˈvoʊ tər /

noun

1. a person who votes.

2. a person who has a right to vote; elector.

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voter British  

/ ˈvəʊtə /

noun

1. a person who can or does vote

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Etymology

Origin of voter

1570–80; vote (v.) + -er ¹

Explanation

If you cast your ballot during an election, you're a voter. In a presidential primary, voters from each major party choose a candidate to run in the general election. A voter, simply put, is either someone who's eligible to vote in an election or someone who actually does vote. When a candidate addresses voters, they're speaking to a group of people, trying to convince that group to vote for them. When voters pass an ordinance or approve a school budget, that means that the majority of those who voted made those choices. The Latin root of both voter and vote is vovere, "to promise."

Example Sentences

The proposed parcel tax of $4 per square foot would require voter approval.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

In the 2024 general election for governor, the party won 83% of the inmate vote, according to a ProPublica tally of voter returns on the State Elections Commission’s website.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

When he was re-elected in 2012, the black voter turnout rate exceeded white turnout.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

In a follow-up post on X, she stated she was not able to vote in the US, despite describing herself as a Republican voter.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

The office kept an electronic database of every voter and potential voter we encountered, and then those that it reached through regular mailers.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• citizen
• resident
• taxpayer