# pull a lever

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pull-a-lever
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To vote.

## Examples

- It is time to pull a lever for your favorite candidate.
- I always pull a lever for the local candidate who promises better schools.
- Do you plan to pull a lever for the current mayor again this year?
- Many citizens wait in long lines on election day just to pull a lever for their chosen representative.
- Even if you dislike both main parties, you should still pull a lever for the person who shares some of your values.
- Young people often feel their voice does not matter, but they can change the government when they pull a lever together.
- In a democracy, the most significant power a citizen holds is the quiet, private moment when they pull a lever to determine the future of their nation.

## Origin

The phrase originates from the mechanics of twentieth-century voting booths, in which a voter recorded their selection by physically pulling a lever. On these early mechanical machines, a lever was pulled for each individual candidate choice before a final, larger lever was pulled to cast the ballot and reset the device for the next citizen.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.