# Straw poll vs poll vs vote

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straw-poll-vs-poll-vs-vote/527533>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straw-poll-vs-poll-vs-vote/527533 "2010-02-03T16:16:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straw-poll-vs-poll-vs-vote/527533/1 "2010-02-03T16:16:50Z")

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Why do we use the term straw poll? How is it different from a poll? I only hear straw poll used when it comes to pre-election polls.

A vote - the results are official. I voted for the mayoral candidate.  
a poll - an unofficial voting. I polled my friends on what kind of pizza they like.  
A straw poll - ???

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**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straw-poll-vs-poll-vs-vote/527533/2 "2010-02-03T16:22:06Z")

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A straw poll, in my experience, is a poll that is not binding. So, in a committee, you might have straw poll between two opposing ideas, but after the chair says, “Well, 6 members support idea A, 4 support idea B, and 3 aren’t sure”, you can have debate, followed by a binding resolution which might be for idea A, probably won’t be for idea B, but might be for idea C which combines parts of A and B.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straw-poll-vs-poll-vs-vote/527533/3 "2010-02-03T16:23:58Z")

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The terms aren’t precise, but a poll usually means one that uses standard polling techniques to try to get a truly representative sample.

A straw poll just asks the questions without making sure that the sample is good. An informal poll of friends, while probably technically a straw poll, will probably be called just a “poll.”

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**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straw-poll-vs-poll-vs-vote/527533/4 "2010-02-03T16:41:47Z")

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> **[Straw poll](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_poll)**
>
> 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. 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 ...

Straw polls seem to generally be “event based” (i.e, vote at x location during y event). Depending on who/how many people show up, they’re very similar to an actual vote, only the results are non-binding.

They differ from your standard opinion poll, which is typically done on an individual basis via telephone.