popular vote
Citizens' collective choice
The popular vote is the total count of individual votes cast in an election, as opposed to votes by delegates or electors.
In U.S. presidential elections, the popular vote determines which candidate received more votes nationwide, though the Electoral College ultimately decides the winner.
A candidate can win the popular vote but lose the election: She won the popular vote by three million but lost the Electoral College.
Voting document
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- electorateEligible voting body
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
voter turnout · precinct · absentee ballot · exit poll · swing state · primary election · caucus · enfranchisement
Voters decide policy personally
- representative democracyGovernance through chosen delegates
- democratizationTransition toward popular rule
- grassrootsCommon people as political base
- activismDirect effort for reform
universal suffrage · referendum · plebiscite · proportional representation · electoral college · first-past-the-post · majority rule · consent of the governed
Largest share among several
- landslideMass of earth falling
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
- decisiveQuick to conclude
- supermajorityVote exceeding simple majority
sweeping · resounding · commanding · clear-cut · overwhelming · tally · margin of victory · narrow victory
Society's shared attitudes
- pollsOpinion surveys or voting sites
- consensusGeneral group agreement
- approvalFavorable opinion given
- disapprovalUnfavorable opinion expressed
support · mood · backlash · mandate · voice of the people · groundswell · electability · favorability
ballot
Voting document
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- electorateEligible voting body
polling · voter turnout · precinct · absentee ballot · exit poll · swing state · primary election · caucus · enfranchisement · balloting
direct democracy
Voters decide policy personally
- representative democracyGovernance through chosen delegates
- democratizationTransition toward popular rule
- grassrootsCommon people as political base
activism · universal suffrage · referendum · plebiscite · proportional representation · electoral college · first-past-the-post · majority rule · consent of the governed · self-governance
plurality
Largest share among several
supermajority · sweeping · resounding · commanding · clear-cut · overwhelming · tally · margin of victory · narrow victory · runoff
public opinion
Society's shared attitudes
disapproval · support · mood · backlash · mandate · voice of the people · groundswell · electability · favorability
- governance reformsconstitutional convention, constitutional court, amendment process, bill of rights, checks and balances
- civicsballot, election, ballots, Bill of Rights, branches of government
- democracyelection, elections, ballot, ballots, voters
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- US Governmentexecutive branch, legislative branch, judicial branch, Congress, House
- votingballot, voters, ballots, voter, polls
popular voteelectoral college
Intermediary voting delegation system
electoral vote · superdelegates · caucus system · party nomination · caucus
popular voteappointment
Scheduled time for something
hereditary succession · judicial appointment · executive order · coup d'état · backroom deal
popular votedivine right
God-granted ruling authority
hereditary succession · military coup · dictatorship · autocracy · appointment
vote, popular, voting, population, populism, unpopular, popularity, populate, populace