straw vote

For straw polls used in editing Wikipedia, see .

A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with non binding results: a practice vote. Straw polls are often used to roughly gauge prevailing opinion. In meetings, 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.

The idiom alludes to a straw (thin plant stalk) held up to see in what direction the wind blows, in this case, the wind of group opinion.

International politics

Straw polls are used in the selection process of the U.N. Secretary General before the actual (effective) vote. ^{[citation needed]}

United States politics

A formal kind of straw poll is common in American political caucuses. Such straw polls can be taken before selecting delegates and voting on resolutions. The results of straw polls are taken by the media to influence delegates in caucus (and later, delegates to political conventions), and thus serve as important precursors.

Well-known straw polls include the Ames Straw Poll and the Texas Straw Poll. The Ames, Iowa, Republican Straw Poll is generally regarded as the most meaningful straw poll during the presidential campaign because of its large voter turnout and relatively high media recognition, as well as Iowa's being the first state to vote in caucuses before the primaries.

In the former, in 2007, one had to buy a $35 ticket to vote. In the latter, one had to have been a former delegate or alternate delegate. Both are run by private organizations, and thus are not subject to public oversight. All such factors make straw polls completely unscientific, hence unlikely to accurately measure group opinion. They are taken nonethless as initial rough gauges of organizational strength and financial support, where the rubber hits the road.

External links

• United States Straw Polls

References

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