straw vote

noun

: an unofficial vote taken (as at a chance gathering) to indicate the relative strength of opposing candidates or issues

called also straw poll

Examples of straw vote in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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On remand the following year, the Siting Council held two non-binding straw votes: the first signaling its intention to reject the project and the second to approve it before the final vote was cast in October to reject UI’s application. John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026 The council will hold a straw vote on May 25, where a majority of council members can advance changes to be included in the final version. Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2026 The Howard County Board of Education held a straw vote Thursday night, moving forward with a redistricting plan, after delaying the vote last week. Dennis Valera, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025 While a final list of cuts the council proposed was made public last week ahead of a straw vote, the process of reaching consensus played out privately. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 25 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of straw vote was in 1866

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Cite this Entry

“Straw vote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straw%20vote. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

straw vote

noun
: an unofficial vote

called also straw poll

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