"Thumbs down from me"

IVOTENO

Think of how someone might express their vote against a proposal in a concise, informal way—like a text abbreviation.

The clue plays on the phrase "thumbs down," which is a common gesture for disapproval or voting "no." "I vote no" sounds like the letters "I-V-O-T-E-N-O" when spoken aloud, turning a casual rejection into a punny, self-referential answer. It’s a straightforward cryptic-style trick where the clue’s meaning directly spells out the solution.