Meaning
An informal, unofficial vote used to gauge the direction of opinion rather than settle anything; common in politics, committees and forecasting. Straw polls are non-binding and usually unscientific, since they capture only whoever happens to take part. Neutral in register, but always carries the caveat that results are unofficial and unscientific. Regional use: General English (American in origin).
Origin
An American political coinage. The OED's earliest evidence for 'straw vote' is from 1866 in the Cleveland (Ohio) Leader, and the Online Etymology Dictionary dates the now-commoner 'straw poll' to 1932, describing a vote without prior notice taken at a casual gathering. The name rests on the old image of holding up a straw, or tossing one into the air, to see which way the wind blows: a straw poll shows which way opinion is blowing. It also draws on the long figurative use of straw for something trifling, a sense Etymonline records from the late 13th century, since such votes are informal and settle nothing.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- straw ballot
- straw vote
Usage Examples
- A quick straw poll of the committee showed most members favored the earlier start time.
- Candidates treat the famous Ames straw poll as a test of organization rather than a forecast.
- Before committing the budget, the chair ran a straw poll to see which proposal had real support.