A direct vote of the electorate on a specific public question is a plebiscite. The term is often used for consultations that are advisory or that concern sovereignty and territorial status, though usage overlaps with referendum.

Governments call plebiscites to legitimize major decisions, to resolve internal disputes, or to demonstrate popular support. The framing of the question, the fairness of the campaign, and the binding or non-binding character of the result all affect the political meaning of the outcome. International observers sometimes monitor plebiscites that bear on self-determination.

Plebiscites can clarify public preferences that ordinary elections leave ambiguous. They can also be manipulated by authoritarian regimes seeking a veneer of consent. The quality of the process determines whether the exercise strengthens or weakens democratic legitimacy.

A clearly worded, fairly conducted plebiscite can settle a question that politicians alone could not resolve.