Word Finder - referendum

definition

A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment. The adposition on is usually used before the related subject of the vote.

definition

An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter.

example

My father is taking my decision on whether to go to university as a referendum on his performance as a parent, and it's very stressful.

The referendum has been sparingly used in matters of local concern.

In 1902 thirteen amendments were adopted, including provisions for the initiative, the referendum and the recall.

Nevada thus became the fourth American state to adopt the referendum.

The voters decided to boycott the referendum, which needed a 50% turnout to be valid.

And there are three deep splits behind the reluctance either to decisively reject the euro or to leap into the unknown of a referendum.

Also coming up is a promised referendum on the European constitution.

Most presidential re-election bids become a referendum on the incumbent's performance in the Oval Office.

How people vote in a euro referendum is not an issue for CA.

Inner Rhoden is extremely conservative, and has the reputation of always rejecting any federal Referendum.

We have produced a facsimile of the Government leaflet produced for the 1975 referendum.

When will the Bill on the European constitutional referendum be published?

Nor is the ' one-size-fits-all ' approach popular with the people of Europe, as the Danish euro referendum showed.

The decision to postpone the referendum on the euro will also mean that the Convention gets an absolutely clear run in the next year.

At the time of the devolution referendum the CBI Scotland polled the 1200 Scottish company directors.

Electoral Battle Units formed to defend Chávez in the recall referendum of August 2004 have morphed into Endogenous Battle Units.

Tony Blair wants to fight and win the EU constitution referendum, leaving on a high.

This fear proved to be well founded, for the result of the referendum in New South Wales showed 7 1, 595 votes in favour of the bill and 66,228 against it, and it was accordingly lost.

An analysis of city election returns for the decade 1890-1899 showed that the interest of the citizens was greatest in the choice of a president; then, successively, in the choice of a mayor, a governor, the determination of liquor-license questions by referendum, and the settlement of other referenda.

In 1909 the state legislature provided for a commission form of government which took effect in April 1910; a council of five, elected by the city at large, has only legislative powers; the mayor appoints members of a utilities commission, a park commission and a board of public works, and all officers except the city auditor and treasurer; and the charter provides for the initiative, the referendum and the recall.

The Spanish referendum was a travesty built upon a farce.

I think you may be right that that 15% constitutes a potential undecided vote in a possible future referendum.

The Government would therefore recommend the British people to vote yes in a referendum to join, he added.

The decision to hold the referendum is a cynical exploitation of vulgar prejudice by the Irish government.

In 1998 Californians passed Proposition 227, a referendum that attempted to eliminate bilingual education by allowing only one year of structured English immersion, followed by mainstreaming.

At this meeting all the colonies except New Zealand were represented, and it was agreed that the parliament of each colony should be asked to pass a bill enabling the people to choose ten persons to represent the colony on a federal convention; the work of such convention being the framing of a federal constitution to be submitted to the people for approval by means of the referendum.

The Enabling Bill passed the various stages in the parliament of that colony, and the question was then adopted by referendum.

The people approved by a vote of nearly three to one, but the court of appeals declared the act unconstitutional because of the referendum.

South Dakota was the first American state to adopt the initiative and referendum.

Such amendments have latterly come to include many matters not strictly constitutional,and so to constitute a species of direct legislation by the people similar in principle to what is called in Switzerland the Referendum.

The measures to be voted on consisted of eleven laws or constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petition, four constitutional amendments referred to the people by the legislature, and four laws upon which the voters had ordered a referendum.

There was a boycott of the referendum on British membership of the Euro.

These include the billionaire Sir James Goldsmith's right wing Referendum Party.

In fact, a yes vote in the referendum is certainly conceivable under his guidance There is no need to despair, tho.

Residents will continue to be included on the electoral roll ensuring they are not disenfranchised from voting in any election or referendum in 2006.

Luxembourg's referendum was the first since the 1930s in the tiny duchy, one of the six founding members of the EU.

A petition reaching 5% of the total electorate would trigger a referendum based on that petition.

They were incensed by the UN's complete inaction initially to defend the result of the referendum it had organized.

The key theme of the meeting was the growing divide over our position on the forthcoming euro referendum.

The Catholic bishops had urged voters to boycott the referendum, which needed a 50% turnout to be valid.

The Belfast Agreement was endorsed by 71.1 per cent of NI voters in a referendum held on 22 May.

The property tax referendum passed by a slim margin, contentiously funding improvements to the city's streets.

In 1906 the city adopted a freehold charter, centralizing power in the mayor and providing for a referendum.

The holding of a referendum is no longer considered a taboo.

Boy, 9, saves choking tot ` We'll hold referendum on police.. .

Then, in a complete volte-face, a referendum was conceded.

In November 1906 the people of the state voted (17,248 for; 2162 against) in favour of the provision of a system of advisory initiative and advisory referendum; and in March 1907 the general assembly passed an act providing initiative and referendum in the municipal affairs in the city of Wilmington.

There are thus two major risks for the Labor government in contemplating a referendum on the euro.

It featured a tailor-made fifth pledge to Welsh and Scottish voters, offering them a referendum on devolution.

The SNP in government will hold a referendum on Independence during the Parliament 's first four year term.

The Prime Minister continues to drop hints about a referendum on the single currency next year.