electoral vote

American  

[ih-lek-ter-uhl voht, ee-lek-tawr-uhl] / ɪˈlɛk tər əl ˈvoʊt, iˌlɛkˈtɔr əl /

noun

1. the vote cast in the Electoral College of the United States by the representatives of each state in a presidential election.

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Etymology

Origin of electoral vote

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Compare meaning

How does electoral-vote compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• popular vote vs. electoral vote

Example Sentences

The leader of Australia's third-largest political party, the Greens, has conceded his seat in Melbourne after a tight electoral vote count that lasted several days.

From BBC

Reagan beat Carter in an electoral vote landslide.

From Los Angeles Times

After a quorum was finally established, Congress counted and certified the electoral vote on April 6, 1789.

From Salon

The contest will come down to seven or so highly competitive states and, maybe, the one electoral vote in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which is anchored in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

From Los Angeles Times

CNN stated that participants "must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold" and receive at least 15% support in four separate recognised polls.

From BBC