The popular vote refers to the total number of votes cast for a particular candidate or issue in an election. It is the overall tally of all ballots counted, regardless of whether they were cast for winning candidates or not. In other words, it's the sum of all individual votes from each voter, and it determines which candidate receives the most support from the public. The popular vote is often used as a measure of how well a candidate performs in an election, even if they do not win their state’s electoral college votes or the presidency itself.