Votare

Votare is an Italian verb meaning to vote, specifically to cast a ballot in elections, referenda, or organizational votes. It can also mean to vow in a religious or formal sense, though the latter usage is less common today and is usually expressed with fare voto or votarsi. The verb derives from the Latin votare, from votum “a vow” or “a vote.” It is related to votare in other Romance languages, such as Spanish votar and French voter, and to the English word vote.

Votare is a regular -are verb and follows the standard conjugation of first-conjugation verbs. In the present indicative it appears as io voto, tu voti, lui/lei vota, noi votiamo, voi votate, loro votano. The passato prossimo is formed with avere: ho votato, hai votato, ha votato, abbiamo votato, avete votato, hanno votato. The future tense yields voterò, voterai, voterà, voteremo, voterete, voteranno. Imperative forms commonly used in speech include vota! (informal singular), voti! or voti? (formal), votate! (plural), and noi votiamo! (let’s vote). The present subjunctive and other tenses follow regular patterns consistent with -are verbs.

In usage, votare governs the act of voting in elections or referenda, or voting on a proposal. It can take a direct object when specifying what is being voted for, as in votare una proposta or votare per un candidato. The noun related forms are voto (the vote), votante (the voter), and votazione (the voting or vote-count). In addition to political contexts, the verb can appear in historical or religious text with a sense related to vows, though Italian more commonly uses fare voto or votarsi for that meaning.