plebiscite
noun
[ ˈplɛbɪsʌɪt ]
• the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question such as a change in the constitution.
• "the administration will hold a plebiscite for the approval of constitutional reforms"
Origin:
mid 16th century (referring to Roman history): from French plébiscite, from Latin plebiscitum, from plebs, pleb- ‘the common people’ + scitum ‘decree’ (from sciscere ‘vote for’). The sense ‘direct vote of the whole electorate’ dates from the mid 19th century.
