Referendarius

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person designated to conduct referendums or oversee the voting process in such proceedings
2. An official responsible for managing or administering referendums to ascertain public opinion on specific issues
3. One who acts as a representative or authority in the organization and execution of referendums for determining popular votes

Etymology: In the late Roman Empire, a "referendarius" was a court official who brought petitions and reports to the emperor, so the title meant something like "one who refers matters upward." The Frankish kings later adopted it for officials who handled royal documents and the seal. The word's root is the Latin "referre," "to carry back" or "to report," and the gerundive "referendum" meant "something to be referred." English took up "referendum" for a popular vote much later. The sense of a person who runs a referendum is therefore a modern derivation from that English usage, not a survival of the Roman or Frankish office. The older officials handled petitions and documents, not votes.

Synonyms: secretary, clerk