poll

go to the polls

To cast one's vote in an election. Analysts have predicted a landslide victory for her, but we won't know for sure until the country goes to the polls.
See also: go, poll

straw poll

An unofficial vote, poll, or survey to gauge the voting public's opinion of an issue or a political candidate. The latest straw poll puts the incumbent president well ahead of his opponent, but it's eight weeks to the election, and a lot can happen in that time.
See also: poll, straw

straw vote

An unofficial vote, poll, or survey to gauge the voting public's opinion of an issue or a candidate. The latest straw vote puts the candidate well ahead of his opponent, but it's eight weeks to the election and a lot can happen in that time.
See also: straw, vote

take a straw poll

To conduct an unofficial vote, poll, or survey to gauge the voting public's opinion of an issue or a political candidate. After taking the latest straw poll, the incumbent president is placed well ahead of his opponent. However, it's eight weeks until the election, and a lot can happen in that time.
See also: poll, straw, take
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

go to the polls

to go to a place to vote; to vote. What day do we go to the polls? Our community goes to the polls in November.
See also: go, poll
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

straw vote

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]
See also: straw, vote
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • go to the polls
  • landslide victory
  • victory
  • at the end of (one's) fingertips
  • at (one's) doorstep
  • at doorstep
  • at expense
  • at somebody's expense
  • at someone's expense
  • at (one's) expense
References in periodicals archive
Before the polling starts, the sample data and all relevant data will be reviewed by the candidates' representatives and by the primary poll committee.
'Opinion poll fairness' will decide life and death of Taiwan's 'Democratic Progressive Party'
"The exit polls are found to be more accurate when it comes to forecasting state legislative assembly elections.
India exit polls: Structured questionnaire is the key
Stein's pinnacle of nearly 7 points came in (http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/06/21/rel7b.-.2016.general.pdf) late June , and like Johnson, her poll numbers dropped as the election grew closer.
Some Final Polls Lean Toward Trump On Election Day
Though the traditional polls of polls are inherently backward-bending, PollQuant is not.
Launching PollQuant - A "Modeled" Poll of Polls
That campaign includes training its own team of poll monitors.
Texplainer: What are the rules for poll watchers?
The Election Commission had this month banned the publication and dissemination of exit polls of any kind from April 7, the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, till May 12 when the last phase of the polling ends.
EC TELLS MEDIANO OPINION POLLS TILLMAY12
DECEMBER 2004: Poll allows Thierry Henry to take a quick free-kick in the 2-2 Premiership draw between Arsenal and Chelsea as the Blues are still building their wall.
Football: The life & crimes of top ref Graham; POLL ACT: THE STORY THAT HAS DIVIDED FOOTBALL
He serves as project manager for Behavioural and Market Research International and for the Centre for Leadership and Governance, and coordinates the fieldwork for the national Stone Polls.
Politics as unusual: in Jamaica, elections are becoming sensationalistic political spectacles. How can resource-limited organizations get an accurate picture of public opinion?
To attract more media attention, CHS also established a special CHS Reporterville media-by-invitation Web site to help raise awareness of the company and experts, and to position the Gallup poll results in more depth.
Fortune 500 company goes a-courtin' using research
Finally, voters need advance training as do poll workers.
Election 2004 and HAVA: what next?
The poll also found that 42 percent said the war in Iraq was the "moral issue" that most influenced their vote.
The religious right and election 2004: religious right leaders exaggerate their role at the polls in a bid to win more power in Washington, D.C
In others, recent events suggest that poll workers may wrongly turn away voters.
Bullies at the voting booth
A hypothetical public-opinion poll shows President George W.
According to the latest poll ... These days, it's hard to turn on a TV or open a newspaper without seeing a poll. But not all polls are created equal, and it can be tricky figuring out what they really mean--if they mean anything at all
And poll after poll show the two candidates oscillating within a few percentage points of one another.
A Kerry landslide? Why the next election won't be close
OSU, which got 235 points in the poll, was one point behind No.
Beavers move up to No. 22 in AP poll, WSU to No. 6