referendum
Example Sentences
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A referendum on Scottish independence in September 2014 saw the country vote to remain part of the UK by a margin of 55% to 45%.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
The island withdrew from the EU in 1985 following a referendum, but maintains extensive ties to the bloc through fisheries arrangements and development cooperation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
Some activists told the BBC that the referendum was a mere formality and claimed that 90% of registered voters did not take part.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
The referendum follows another turbulent period in Guinea-Bissau's politics.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Almost banning the death penalty through a popular referendum in an American state would have been unimaginable just a few years earlier.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
State referenda can be difficult to poll, but surveys say Maine on Tuesday might have a couple of squeakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025
Berlin, Hamburg and the Ruhr region are also developing bids, with referenda to be held in 2026.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025
The report acknowledges that any constitutional change is a long way off, and would likely require a combination of petitions, referenda and legislation by the Scottish and U.K. governments.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 3, 2023
Rules are different for referenda, which seek to overturn laws, than for ballot initiatives that seek to enact them.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2022
In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU.
From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
The Welsh Conservatives said they would "cap council tax increases at 5% and require local referendums for any larger rises" giving residents "the power to approve or block excessive council tax rises".
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
Speaking of referendums, how about one to eliminate the State of the Union?
From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026
The passage of three referendums should ease city approval for new housing developments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
I think that deliberation, whether spread broadly in the schools or spread broadly before national elections, before referendums, before initiatives, could become part of everyday life.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2025
On the ballot in November 1867, the men in Kansas faced two referendums, one that deleted the word “white” from the description of voters and a second that deleted the word “male.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Vocabulary lists containing referendum
Election Lingo
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U.S. Government Lingo
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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