1883. Graphic, 17 Mar., p. 279, col. 3. ‘How many voters are
there?’ asked a candidate in one of these pure-blooded Yankee
townships. ‘Four hundred.’ ‘And how many floaters, i.e.,
purchasable?’ ‘Four hundred.’
1888. New York Herald, 4 Nov. The Building Materials Exchange
people were in line to the number of about 200, with a band, and
were followed by a sixteen-horse stage of the ‘Long Tom’ shape
containing a lot of floaters and some fifers and drummers.
4. (Western American).—A candidate representing several counties, and
therefore not considered directly responsible to any one of them.
1853. Texas State Gazette, 16 July. J. W. Lawrence, Esq., requests
us to withdraw his name as a candidate for floater in the district
composed of the counties of Fayette, Bastrop, and Travis.