From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfree voteˌfree ˈvote noun [countable] British English a situation in which members of the British parliament can choose how to vote rather than following the choice of their political party
Examples from the Corpus
free vote• Members are traditionally allowed a free vote and can not be instructed by their party to follow a line.• The issues of Maastricht - single currency, sovereignty and legal structure - deserve thorough scrutiny and a free vote.• It called for a free vote on marijuana, and also for possible referendums on abortion and the restoration of capital punishment.• On a free vote the amendment was carried by 292 votes to 246, a majority of forty six.• Who is really winning will not be known before the free vote on the embryo Bill in the new year. 