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

Alternatively, anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Alexander, head of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, has spent more than three decades working to make the state’s elections more efficient, more transparent and more accountable.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Voter skepticism, political tradition and ingrained frugality loom over the debate, says University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

Voter exit polls showed cost of living dominating voter worries in New York City, with taxes and the economy being the top two issues facing the state, according to the Wall Street Journal.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

The next step in order was the establishment of Citizenship Schools and the slogan "Every Missouri Woman an Intelligent Voter in 1920" was adopted.

From The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume VI by Harper, Ida Husted

Related Words

• citizen
• resident
• taxpayer