An election in which people vote for issues of public policy rather than candidates is known as a

An election in which people vote for issues of public policy rather than candidates is known as a "referendum". In a referendum, citizens are presented with a specific question or issue, and they vote directly on the issue, rather than for individual candidates or political parties. Referendums are often used to decide on major policy decisions, such as constitutional amendments, changes to government policies, or even independence referendums. The results of a referendum are binding, and the outcome of the vote is used to inform future decision-making by the government or other governing bodies.