diff --git a/src/components/Poll/PollOptionSelector.tsx b/src/components/Poll/PollOptionSelector.tsx
index 20d304b05d..eecbce4bba 100644
--- a/src/components/Poll/PollOptionSelector.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Poll/PollOptionSelector.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import clsx from 'clsx';
-import debounce from 'lodash.debounce';
-import React, { useMemo } from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import type {
   PollOptionResponseData,
   PollState,
@@ -91,17 +90,13 @@ export const PollOptionSelector = ({
     ? vote_counts_by_option[maxVotedOptionIds[0]]
     : 0;
 
-  const toggleVote = useMemo(
-    () =>
-      debounce(() => {
-        if (!canCastVote) return;
-        const haveVotedForTheOption = !!ownVotesByOptionId[option.id];
-        return haveVotedForTheOption
-          ? poll.removeVote(ownVotesByOptionId[option.id].id, message.id)
-          : poll.castVote(option.id, message.id);
-      }, 100),
-    [canCastVote, message.id, option.id, ownVotesByOptionId, poll],
-  );
+  const toggleVote = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!canCastVote) return;
+    const haveVotedForTheOption = !!ownVotesByOptionId[option.id];
+    return haveVotedForTheOption
+      ? poll.removeVote(ownVotesByOptionId[option.id].id, message.id)
+      : poll.castVote(option.id, message.id);
+  }, [canCastVote, message.id, option.id, ownVotesByOptionId, poll]);
 
   const avatarDisplayInfo = useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -126,6 +121,8 @@ export const PollOptionSelector = ({
           ? (event) => {
               if (event.key !== 'Enter' && event.key !== ' ') return;
               event.preventDefault();
+              // a held key would otherwise toggle the vote on every auto-repeat
+              if (event.repeat) return;
               toggleVote();
             }
           : undefined
diff --git a/src/components/Poll/__tests__/PollOptionList.test.tsx b/src/components/Poll/__tests__/PollOptionList.test.tsx
index 7e141d0ea3..2279805abf 100644
--- a/src/components/Poll/__tests__/PollOptionList.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Poll/__tests__/PollOptionList.test.tsx
@@ -326,6 +326,51 @@ describe('PollOptionList', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('ignores auto-repeated key presses on a held key', async () => {
+    const poll = new Poll({
+      client: fromPartial<StreamChat>({}),
+      poll: pollWithNoVotes,
+    });
+    const castVoteSpy = vi.spyOn(poll, 'castVote').mockResolvedValue(fromPartial({}));
+    const removeVoteSpy = vi.spyOn(poll, 'removeVote').mockResolvedValue(fromPartial({}));
+
+    const { container } = renderComponent({ poll });
+    const firstOption = container.querySelector(VOTABLE_OPTION_SELECTOR) as HTMLElement;
+
+    act(() => {
+      fireEvent.keyDown(firstOption, { key: 'Enter' });
+      fireEvent.keyDown(firstOption, { key: 'Enter', repeat: true });
+      fireEvent.keyDown(firstOption, { key: ' ', repeat: true });
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(castVoteSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+    expect(removeVoteSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('sends the vote right away on click', () => {
+    const poll = new Poll({
+      client: fromPartial<StreamChat>({}),
+      poll: pollWithNoVotes,
+    });
+    const castVoteSpy = vi.spyOn(poll, 'castVote').mockResolvedValue(fromPartial({}));
+
+    const { container } = renderComponent({ poll });
+    const firstOption = container.querySelector(VOTABLE_OPTION_SELECTOR) as HTMLElement;
+
+    act(() => {
+      fireEvent.click(firstOption);
+    });
+
+    // checked synchronously: a debounced or otherwise delayed vote would not be sent yet
+    expect(castVoteSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(castVoteSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      pollWithNoVotes.options[0].id,
+      defaultMessageContext.message.id,
+    );
+  });
+
   it('passes axe on the default poll option list', async () => {
     const poll = new Poll({ client: fromPartial<StreamChat>({}), poll: generatePoll() });
     const { container } = renderComponent({ poll });