referenda

variants or referendums
plural of referendum
as in votes
an event in which the electorate votes for or against a law that deals with a specific issue They are having a referendum so the public can decide the controversial issue.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of referenda Through these referendums, voters can weigh in on construction bans, tax incentives and zoning ordinances. Rachel Mural, Fortune, 21 June 2026 Days after shelving a plan to redraw Georgia’s political maps, Republican lawmakers in the state Legislature are pivoting to property taxes with an ambitious strategy to put more than a hundred tax-cutting referendums on the ballot this November in a move that could boost GOP turnout. David Wickert, AJC.com, 19 June 2026 Through these referendums, voters can weigh in on construction bans, tax incentives and zoning ordinances. Rachel Mural, The Conversation, 18 June 2026 Migration remains divisive issue Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums typically held four times a year. Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 Turnout was about 59%, well above the recent average of 48% for Swiss referendums. CNN Money, 14 June 2026 Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums typically held four times a year. ABC News, 14 June 2026 So far, there are no city-specific referendums scheduled to be on the ballot, though city commissioners have until late July to add any. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026 For decades, violent crimes involving members of different races have been blown into national referendums on race, from lynchings in the Jim Crow era to the Rodney King riots in 1992. Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referenda
Noun
  • Roy is among the Republicans that frequently withhold their votes to extract demands from GOP leadership.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The previous version of the bill had garnered strong bipartisan support in the 80-person Assembly, passing out of the chamber with 76 votes in favor of it.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • In southern Algeria and Sahara Desert regions, voting was brought forward by 48 hours to allow the nomadic population to cast ballots in boxes transported in off-road vehicles belonging to the administration and escorted by police in Land Rovers.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • The Supreme Court this week issued several significant rulings, including the validity of late-arriving mail-in ballots, a challenge to the concept of birthright citizenship and the participation of transgender athletes on girls’ sports teams.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

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“Referenda.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referenda. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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