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Glite Dictionary
foot voting

foot voting

7.8
Moving to another place to show a political or personal preference instead of voting in an election
  • noun
  • Formal
translation icon : voto con los pies
  • Many families participate in foot voting by moving to communities with better schools.

Examples

  • The decline in city population was partly due to foot voting in response to high taxes.

  • Some economists argue that foot voting is a powerful form of democratic expression.

  • Many citizens are engaging in foot voting by leaving their homes to protest.

  • When people feel unheard, they often resort to foot voting.

  • Many families participate in foot voting by moving to communities with better schools.

  • The decline in city population was partly due to foot voting in response to high taxes.

  • Some economists argue that foot voting is a powerful form of democratic expression.

Synonyms

to vote with one's feet
vsfoot voting
  • Informal
2 7.1

Leave a place to show you dislike it and go somewhere else

includes other actions, not only leaving for another place

Surface Forms

foot voting singular
foot votings plural

Morphology

foot + voting

The components 'foot' (to travel by walking) and 'voting' (choosing among options) give a plausible clue that this is about 'voting by movement' or expressing preference through relocation, so some learners could infer a related meaning. However, the term is a metaphorical, specialist political concept (related to 'voting with your feet') and its precise sense is not fully predictable without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The term foot voting comes from the picture of people using their feet to 'vote' by moving to another town, school, or community they prefer. So, it means 'showing your choice by moving or taking action' rather than by a formal vote.