popular vote

[pop-yuh-ler voht]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the vote for a U.S. presidential candidate made by the qualified voters, as opposed to that made by the Electoral College.
the vote for a candidate, issue, etc., made by the qualified voters, as opposed to a vote made by elected representatives.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of popular vote¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But Trump’s margin over Harris in the popular vote was just 1.5% — which is far from landslide territory — and he didn’t even win a majority of support, falling just shy of 50%.

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So to nearly split the popular vote with all that baggage is notable.

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“In 2004 President Bush got re-elected and promptly tried to privatize Social Security, and Republicans didn’t win the popular vote for 20 years,” Hawley said.

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"The difference here is that our 'untouchable' legal system – and it was untouchable because it was controlled by the elites, by privilege – for the first time in history will be voted in. It will be democratised through the popular vote."

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Who better, supporters say, to engage President Trump than the former prosecutor who whipped him in their one debate and only just lost the popular vote after being thrust overnight into a drastically truncated campaign?

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popular sovereignty populate

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