Definition of vote onto

The phrase "vote onto" is a relatively recent development in the English language, first appearing in the mid-20th century. The term combines two words - "vote" and "onto" - to describe the process by which a person or entity is selected for appointment, membership, or inclusion in a group or organization through a voting mechanism. The word "vote" has roots in the Old Norse "fóttr," meaning "foot," as early voters physically cast their ballots by placing their feet against a Kongressmaenn (Councilman) or Haralsblót (Harald's Sacrifice) wooden board listing candidates, with the chosen candidates being the ones with the most "feet" against them. Later, the Anglo-Saxon word "fōt," meaning "paw," was used to refer to the claws of animals, and it eventually evolved into the Middle English word "foote," meaning "supporter" or "follower," which, in turn, led to the modern meaning of "vote." The term "onto" derives from the Latin expression "in," meaning "into," and the Greek term "onto," which translates roughly to "on" or "upon." The word was first used in mathematics in the early 20th century to describe a function that maps a set onto another set, but today it is commonly used in everyday English to mean "onto" a conclusion or outcome. So, when we say "vote onto," we are combining these two concepts to describe the process by which an individual is selected or appointed to a position or membership through a voting mechanism, as they are "onto" the final decision or outcome.