• (RP) IPA: /vəʊt/
• (GA) IPA: /voʊt/

vote (plural votes)

1. a formalized choice on matters of administration or other democratic activities

   The city council decided the matter should go to public vote.

   Parliament will hold a vote of confidence regarding the minister.

   One occasion indicative votes were used was in 2003 when MPs were presented with seven different options on how to reform the House of Lords.

2. an act or instance of participating in such a choice, e.g., by submitting a ballot

   The Supreme Court upheld the principle of one person, one vote.

   • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, OCLC 5661828 ↗, page 01 ↗:

     As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.

3. (obsolete) an ardent wish#Noun|wish or desire#Noun|desire; a vow#Noun|vow; a prayer
   • 1633, Philip Massinger, “The Guardian”, in Three New Playes; viz. The Bashful Lover, The Guardian, The Very Woman. As They have been Often Acted at the Private-House in Black-Friers, by His Late Majesties Servants, with Great Applause, London: Printed for Humphrey Moseley, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Prince's Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard, published 1655, OCLC 15553475 ↗; republished as “The Guardian. A Comical History. As It hath been Often Acted at the Private-House in Black-Friars, by His Late Majesty's Servants, with Great Applause, 1655.”, in Thomas Coxeter, editor, The Works of Philip Massinger. Volume the Fourth. Containing, The Guardian. A Very Woman. The Old Law. The City Madam. And Poems on Several Occasions, volume IV, London: Printed for T[homas] Davies, in Russel-street, Covent-Garden, 1761, OCLC 6847259 ↗, Act V, scene i, page 71 ↗:

     Jol[ante]. In you, Sir, / I live; and when, or by the Courſe of Nature, / Or Violence you muſt fall, the End of my / Devotions is, that one and the ſame Hour / May make us fit for Heaven. // Server. I join with you / In my votes that way: […]

• French: voix, vote
• German: Stimme, Votum
• Italian: voto
• Portuguese: voto
• Russian: го́лос
• Spanish: voto

• French: vote, votation
• German: Abstimmung
• Portuguese: votação
• Russian: голосова́ние

vote (votes, present participle voting; past and past participle voted)

1. (intransitive) to cast#Verb|cast a vote; to assert a formalized choice in an election

   Did you vote last month?

2. (transitive) to choose or grant by means of a vote, or by general consent

   The depository may vote shares on behalf of investors who have not submitted instruction to the bank.

• French: voter
• German: wählen, stimmen
• Italian: votare
• Portuguese: votar
• Russian: голосова́ть
• Spanish: votar

vote (plural votes)

1. A person from Votia or of Votic descent.

• Votia
• Votian
• Votic

• German: Wote, Wotin
• Russian: водь