Legal Definitions - show of hands

Show of hands is a way of voting where people raise their hands to express their preference or opinion in a meeting or election. It is a type of vote that is counted by visually observing the raised hands of the voters.

During a school assembly, the principal asked the students if they wanted to have a school dance. The students were asked to vote by a show of hands. Those who wanted to have a school dance raised their hands, and those who did not want to have a school dance kept their hands down. The principal counted the raised hands to determine the majority vote.

This example illustrates how a show of hands is used to determine the majority vote in a meeting or election.