Isabella Carter
In the context of voting and elections, a majority is defined as a number of voters or votes, jurors, or others in agreement, constituting more than half of the total number. In other words, a majority vote means that a proposition is selected by the majority of voters from a set of alternatives. In a majority vote, candidates with the most votes in a constituency can enter Parliament. This is different from a plurality, where a candidate only needs to poll more votes than any other single opponent and does not need to poll more votes than the combined opposition. In the United States, candidates only need a plurality to win legislative elections, but both plurality and majority votes are involved in the presidential election.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition of Majority | More than half of the votes or voters in agreement |
| Absolute Majority | Over 50% of the votes |
| Relative Majority | More votes than other candidates but not necessarily more than half |
| Supermajority | A specified threshold greater than one half |
| Plurality | More votes than any other single opponent |
| Double Majority | Majority of votes according to two separate criteria |
| Simple Majority | Winning by a small margin |
| Kanzlermehrheit | Majority of elected members of the Bundestag |
| Fixed Membership | Specific number of seats or memberships established in the rules |
| Working Majority | Number of votes based on eligible voters |
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What You'll Learn
The difference in votes between first and second place
In British English, the term "majority" is used to refer to the difference in votes between the first-place and second-place candidates in an election. This is also referred to as the margin of victory in American English.
A "majority" vote typically means that a proposition or candidate is selected by more than half of the voters from a set of alternatives. In other words, a candidate must obtain more votes than the other candidates combined to win an absolute majority. This is distinct from a plurality vote, where a candidate only needs to poll more votes than any other single opponent and may not necessarily receive more than half of the votes cast.
In the context of elections, a "majority" specifically refers to the number of votes gained by the winning party or candidate, which must be more than half of the total votes cast. This is also known as a relative majority or simple majority. It is calculated by subtracting the number of votes received by the second-place candidate from the number of votes received by the first-place candidate. This difference in votes between the top two candidates determines the margin of victory for the winner.
For example, let's say in an election, Candidate A receives 200 votes, Candidate B receives 150 votes, and Candidate C receives 100 votes. In this case, Candidate A has a majority over Candidate B by 50 votes (200-150=50). This means that Candidate A received 50 more votes than Candidate B and thus has a majority over the second-place candidate.
It's important to note that the concept of a "majority" can also apply to the number of seats a party wins in a legislative body, such as a parliament or congress. For example, in a parliament with 650 seats, a party must win at least 326 seats (more than half) to have an overall majority. This majority can fluctuate over time as MPs may lose the whip or resign their seats.
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Absolute majority vs. relative majority
In a general election, the term "majority" is used to refer to the difference in votes between the first-place candidate and the second-place candidate. However, the specific terms "absolute majority" and "relative majority" have distinct meanings.
An absolute majority, also known as a simple majority, refers to a situation where more than half of the votes cast are required for a proposition to be passed or a candidate to be elected. For example, if there are 100 eligible voters and 60 of them cast their ballots, an absolute majority would be achieved with 51 votes. This means that even if some eligible voters did not participate, a candidate who receives 51 or more votes wins.
On the other hand, a relative majority, also known as a plurality, is achieved when a candidate or proposition receives the most votes compared to other candidates or options but does not obtain more than half of all votes cast. For instance, if there are 100 votes cast, and Candidate A receives 45 votes, Candidate B receives 30 votes, and Candidate C receives 25 votes, then Candidate A has a relative majority but not an absolute majority.
The distinction between an absolute and a relative majority is important in electoral systems. The absolute majority criterion may be challenging to satisfy when there are more than two candidates, as seen in some countries' legislative elections. On the other hand, a relative majority system can result in the winning candidate receiving only a minority of the votes cast, particularly when multiple candidates are contesting a constituency seat.
In summary, an absolute majority requires a candidate or proposition to obtain more than half of the votes cast, while a relative majority is achieved when a candidate or proposition receives the highest number of votes but fails to secure more than half the total votes. The choice between these systems depends on a country's cultural, social, historical, and political circumstances.
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Supermajority
In general elections, a majority is defined as a number of votes constituting more than half of the total number. This is also referred to as an absolute majority. In the US, a candidate needs an absolute majority of at least 270 votes out of 538 from the Electoral College to be named President. In the UK, a simple majority is achieved when a party wins more than half of the 650 seats in Parliament, or 326 seats. In the 2024 UK general election, the Labour Party won 411 seats, giving them a simple majority of 156 seats.
A supermajority is a specified threshold greater than one half, commonly used in the two-thirds vote where two-thirds of votes are required to pass a decision. In the US, a supermajority is required to override a presidential veto, where two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate must revote in favour of overriding it. In the UK, the term "supermajority" has been used to refer to a very large majority, such as the 181-vote majority that the Labour government entered office with in 2024.
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Plurality
In the context of voting and elections, a plurality refers to the excess of votes received by the leading candidate over those received by the next candidate. In other words, a candidate achieves a plurality when they receive more votes than any other candidate, but not necessarily more than half of all votes cast. This is also known as a ""relative majority".
The plurality system is the simplest way of determining the outcome of an election. To win, a candidate needs only to poll more votes than any other single opponent. They do not need to poll more votes than the combined opposition, as is required by the majority formula. The more candidates contesting a constituency seat, the greater the probability that the winning candidate will receive only a minority of the votes cast. Countries that use the plurality formula for national legislative elections include Canada, Great Britain, India, and the United States.
In the United States legislative elections, candidates generally only need a plurality to win. However, in the presidential election, both the plurality and majority of votes are involved. This is because citizens indirectly vote for the president by voting for an elector from the Electoral College, who will then cast their vote for a candidate. The presidential candidate who gets a plurality of votes in a state will receive all the electoral votes for that state. However, they must then obtain an absolute majority of at least 270 votes (out of 538) from the Electoral College to be named President.
It is important to note that plurality and majority are two distinct concepts in elections. While a plurality refers to receiving more votes than any other candidate, a majority refers to receiving more than half of the total votes cast.
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Electoral College
The Electoral College is a process, not a physical place, by which the President and Vice President of the United States are elected. It was established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, with each state allocated a number of electors equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in its US Congressional delegation. The District of Columbia is allocated three electors and is treated like a state for the purposes of the Electoral College. Each candidate running for President in a state has their own group of electors, generally chosen by the candidate's political party in that state.
The general election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Voters in each state choose electors to serve in the Electoral College, but they are voting for their candidate's preferred electors, not the individual candidate. Most states have a "winner-take-all" system, awarding all electors to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote. However, electors are not bound by the popular vote and may vote for someone else, though this rarely happens.
The Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. If no candidate receives an absolute majority, the House of Representatives determines who the next President will be, with each state casting one vote. Similarly, the Senate decides who the next Vice President will be if there is no absolute majority.
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Frequently asked questions
A majority in a general election is when a party or candidate wins more than half of the votes cast, also referred to as 50% plus one vote.
A plurality is when a candidate wins more votes than any other candidate but does not receive more than half of the votes cast. In other words, they have a subset of votes larger than any other candidate but not necessarily more than half. A majority, on the other hand, is when a candidate or party wins more than half of the votes cast.
The voting system can vary between countries. For example, in the United States, candidates only need a plurality to win legislative elections, whereas in the presidential election, they need both a plurality and majority of votes. In the UK, a simple majority is when a party wins more than half of the 650 seats in Parliament, which is 326 seats or more.
