Joins together in vote surrounding approval (5)
I believe the answer is:
yokes
'joins together' is the definition.
'yokes' can be an answer for 'joins' (yoking is a kind of joining). I'm not sure about the 'together' bit.
'vote surrounding approval' is the wordplay.
'vote' becomes 'yes' (I have seen 'Pro vote ' mean 'yes' so perhaps 'vote' could also mean 'yes').
'surrounding' is an insertion indicator.
'approval' becomes 'ok' (OK is an example).
'yes' placed around 'ok' is 'YOKES'.
'in' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for yokes that I've seen before include "Oppresses" , "Harnesses together" , "Harnesses (oxen)" , "Crosspieces fastened over the necks of a pair of draft animals" , "couples" .)