The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate.(November 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
A straw poll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used to help politicians know the majority opinion and help them decide what to say in order to gain votes.
Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups.[1][2] Impromptu straw polls often are taken to see if there is enough support for an idea to devote more meeting time to it, and (when not a secret ballot) for the attendees to see who is on which side of a question. However, in meetings subject to Robert's Rules of Order, motions to take straw polls are not allowed.[3]
Among political bodies, straw polls often are scheduled for events at which many people interested in the polling question can be expected to vote. Sometimes polls conducted without ordinary voting controls in place (i.e., on an honor system, such as in online polls) are also called "straw polls".
The idiom may allude to a straw (thin plant stalk) held up to see in what direction the wind blows, in this case, the metaphorical wind of group opinion.[4][5][6]
^Vote on the Michigan Republican debate - The Debates - nbcnews.com
^My Open Letter To Ron Paul Supporters - Political Capital with John Harwood - MSNBC.com
^Robert, Henry M.; et al. (2011). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 429. ISBN 978-0-306-82020-5. A motion to take an informal straw poll to "test the water" is not in order because it neither adopts nor rejects a measure and hence is meaningless and dilatory.
^Christine Ammer. The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997)
A strawpoll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used...
Iowa StrawPoll may refer to: Iowa State Fair StrawPoll, also sometimes referred to as Iowa StrawPoll; first conducted in 2015 Iowa StrawPoll (1979–2011)...
in CPAC strawpoll". nj.com. Advance Local Media, LLC. Retrieved March 14, 2020. Hallow, Ralph Z. "Forbes tops Bush in presidential strawpoll of conservatives"...
running highly negative attack ads. In the August 13 Ames StrawPoll, a traditional strawpoll held in Iowa Republican caucuses, Bachmann narrowly defeated...
The New Hampshire StrawPoll is a strawpoll for the United States Republican presidential primary elections that was started in 2011 through promotion...
with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a strawpoll. The Iowa caucuses mark the traditional formal start of the delegate selection...
held a poll on vice president, Kari Lake topped the poll with 20%, Ron DeSantis on 14% and Nikki Haley on 10%. Turning Point Action held a strawpoll in July...
The following is a list of notable strawpolls for the 2016 Republican Party's presidential nomination. The poll was held at the conference May 23, 2015...
with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a strawpoll. The Iowa caucuses mark the traditional formal start of the delegate selection...
non-binding strawpoll on the day of the presidential general election to gauge the preference for president every election year. The poll has been held...
This is a list of strawpolls that have been conducted relating to the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries. Total StrawPoll Victories is as follows:...
Republican side of the Iowa caucuses and previously sponsored the Iowa StrawPoll. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all but...
candidate since Ronald Reagan, and is best known for its presidential strawpoll, which receives national media attention. In 2011, the event was dubbed...
place in the Washington Times/CPAC 2013 StrawPoll with 4% of the 3,000 ballots cast. In the 2014 CPAC strawpoll, he was in third place with 9% of the...
Post-Gazette September 27, 2011 "Cain upsets Perry in Florida Republican strawpoll". Reuters. September 24, 2011. Archived from the original on September...
needed] The 3 RNC delegates pledged to go with the results of the Boise StrawPoll.[citation needed] The delegates will be determined by the caucuses results...
The following is a list of notable strawpolls for the 2016 Democratic Party's presidential nomination. 511 delegates, alternates, and registered guests...
polling stations Strawpoll, an ad-hoc or unofficial vote Survey (human research) Poll (livestock), the top of an animal's head Polled livestock, hornless...
with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a strawpoll. The Iowa caucuses marked the traditional formal start of the delegate...
candidate prospects held in Iowa in April." In the New Hampshire GOP 2012 StrawPoll, taken January 22, 2011, Bachmann placed fifth with five percent of the...
owner Conrad Reynolds, retired U.S. Army colonel In December 2009, a strawpoll was held for the current Republican candidates for U.S. Senate. The results...
majority of delegates on March 12. The party also conducted a non-binding strawpoll between Trump and Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina,...
in the strawpoll were collected from the South Side. Strawpoll of, "downtown office buildings and sundry theaters on the south side" Strawpoll of West...
Global Information