electorate

Noun

electorate (plural electorates)

1. (collective) The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote.
   • The votes have been counted and the electorate has spoken.
   • Incoming governments normally announce that they will seek to serve the whole electorate. Now, playing out in triplicate across the UK is a "divide and rule" approach to leadership, straight from Donald Trump's playbook: each faction consolidating its base, choosing an enemy and accusing opponents...2019 August 10, Gordon Brown, “The very idea of a United Kingdom is being torn apart by toxic nationalism”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC...

   Synonyms:

   constituency

2. (historical) The office, or area of dominion, of an Elector (“a German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”); an electorship.
   • [I]n case Hanover should be attacked on the ground of a German quarrel, unconnected with English politics, we were not bound to defend her; yet, if a power at war with England should think fit to consider that electorate as part of the king's dominions, which perhaps according to the law of nations...1827, Henry Hallam, “On the Reign of William II”, in The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume II, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC...
   • The line of demarcation [between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism] ran, as it still runs, through the midst of the Netherlands, of Germany, and of Switzerland, dividing province from province, electorate from electorate, and canton from canton.1837 July, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Lord Bacon [Francis Bacon]. […]”, in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to the Edinburgh Review. […], 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Longman...
3. (Australia, New Zealand) A geographical area represented by one or more elected officials; a constituency, an electoral district.
   • The electorate of Finchley borders on the electorate of Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, splitting the new housing estate of Royal Cupolas.

   Synonyms:

   division, riding, seat, ward