referendum

noun

1. A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.

   “a referendum on …”

   “In some cases, a referendum on the proposed bond issue must be held.”

   “Article 74: The Republic of Karakalpakstan shall have the right to secede from the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of a nation-wide referendum held by the people of Karakalpakstan.”

   “Although the Cook Islands held a referendum in 1994, when voters rejected a name change, the yearning for a decolonised identity has not disappeared.”

   “[Salvador] Illa ascribed the nationalist surge in Catalonia that fuelled support for the 2017 referendum – and Brexit in the UK – as populist responses to the financial crisis of 2008.”

2. An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter.

   “My father is taking my decision on whether to go to university as a referendum on his performance as a parent, and it's very stressful.”