floating vote
Undecided electoral choice
A floating vote is one not committed to any particular party or candidate—it can swing either direction depending on the election.
The term appears mainly in British political discourse.
Floating votes are what campaigns target when trying to win undecided voters: The parties are competing fiercely for the floating vote in marginal constituencies.
Not having chosen
- persuadableAble to be convinced
- uncommittedNot bound to anything
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
- independentFree from external control
volatile · changeable · fickle · unpredictable · flexible · open-minded · vacillating · fluid
Voting document
- electorateEligible voting body
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- democracyRule by the people
polling station · turnout · registration · suffrage · franchise · referendum · plebiscite · opinion poll
Systematic direct voter outreach
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- campaigningActively pursuing political support
- outreachProactive community assistance
- advertisingPaid promotional communication
lobbying · endorsements · targeting · microtargeting · messaging · appeals · courting · wooing
Vitally important, deciding
- crucialOf supreme importance
- keyLock-opening device
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- determiningEstablishing with certainty
deciding · game-changing · make-or-break · clinching · kingmaker · margin of victory · battleground · contested
Delay from uncertainty
- doubtLack of firm belief
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
- vacillationInability to choose
equivocation · irresolution · uncertainty · tentativeness · fluctuation · undecidedness · noncommitment · fence-sitting
undecided
Not having chosen
- persuadableAble to be convinced
- uncommittedNot bound to anything
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
independent · volatile · changeable · fickle · unpredictable · flexible · open-minded · vacillating · fluid · ambivalent
ballot
Voting document
- electorateEligible voting body
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
democracy · polling station · turnout · registration · suffrage · franchise · referendum · plebiscite · opinion poll · representative
canvassing
Systematic direct voter outreach
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- campaigningActively pursuing political support
- outreachProactive community assistance
advertising · lobbying · endorsements · targeting · microtargeting · messaging · appeals · courting · wooing · rallies
pivotal
Vitally important, deciding
determining · deciding · game-changing · make-or-break · clinching · kingmaker · margin of victory · battleground · contested · competitive
hesitation
Delay from uncertainty
- doubtLack of firm belief
- ambivalenceConflicting emotions coexisting
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
vacillation · equivocation · irresolution · uncertainty · tentativeness · fluctuation · undecidedness · noncommitment · fence-sitting · torn
floating voteparty loyalty
Commitment to one's faction
party allegiance · true believer · party faithful · single-issue voter
floating votepartisan
Biased toward one side
party faithful · true believer · party loyalist · stalwart · card-carrying member
float, vote, floats, floated, floater, floaters, votes, voted, voter