pavaso

pavaso
 n.— «A pivaso is a ballot split between the pro-commonwealth party—whose emblem is Puerto Rico’s traditional flouncy peasant hat, the pava—and the tiny PIP party, which advocates complete independence for the island. Traditionally, votes cast for the pro-commonwealth ticket, the Popular Democratic Party, were known as pavasos. Hence, a vote split between the PIP and the party of the pavasos became a pivaso.» —“Puerto Rico Is Caught In Throes of Recount” by Manuel Roig-Franzia in San Juan, Puerto Rico Washington Post Dec. 11, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

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