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straw vote

noun

an unofficial vote taken to obtain an indication of the general trend of opinion on a particular issue.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of straw vote¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

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Idioms and Phrases

Also, straw poll. An unofficial vote or poll indicating how people feel about a candidate or issue. For example, Let's take a straw poll on the bill and see how it fares. This idiom alludes to a straw used to show in what direction the wind blows, in this case the wind of public opinion. O. Henry joked about it in A Ruler of Men (1907): “A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.” [c. 1885]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A straw vote in favor of the Harris group would indicate that the legal issues between Snyder and the NFL have finally been settled.

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Montgomery County Council members took a straw vote in March to restore the funding to begin construction in fiscal 2025, but the final budget will not be approved until May.

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As expected, Mr. Mondale initially raised more money, won more straw votes, did better in all the polls and received more endorsements than his opponents.

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The council approved the tunnel funding unanimously in a straw vote.

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The overall winner of the straw vote might be so designated on primary ballots.

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straw that breaks the camel's back strawweight

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