straw polls
Informal opinion samples
Straw polls are informal, nonbinding votes taken to gauge opinion or sentiment before a formal decision.
The name suggests something as insubstantial as straw—the results indicate direction but carry no official weight.
Political parties use straw polls to test candidate support; meetings use them to see where people stand before committing: Let's take a straw poll on whether to proceed.
- queryRequest for information
- vox popImpromptu public interviews
- public opinionSociety's shared attitudes
- opinionSubjective personal belief
- surveySystematic data collection
informal · quick read · politics · caucuses · trial balloon · pulse · cross-section · sampling · barometer · elections · sentiment · popular vote · show of hands · swing voters · voting · campaigning · voter turnout · bellwether
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
- public voicesurveys, petitions, votes, public comment, town halls
- primariesprimary election, primary elections, primaries, open primaries, primary ballot
straw pollsgeneral elections
Nationwide selection of officials
primary elections · ballot initiatives · electoral votes · plebiscites
straw, poll, straws, polls, polled, polling, pollster, pollsters