A popular count (6)

I believe the answer is:

census

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'count' is the definition.
(I know that census is a type of count)

I can't explain the remainder of the clue.

(Other definitions for census that I've seen before include "Official survey" , "Periodic count as of population" , "Periodical population count" , "Periodic counting of the population" , "Head-count" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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