Absolute majority - SS1 Government Lesson Note

The absolute majority is a voting method in which a candidate must receive more than 50% of the votes to win the election. In other words, if there are multiple candidates running for an office, the winner must receive more than half of the votes cast. If no candidate receives an absolute majority, a runoff election may be held between the two candidates with the most votes.

For example, in a hypothetical election with three candidates, if Candidate A receives 40% of the votes, Candidate B receives 35% of the votes, and Candidate C receives 25% of the votes, no candidate would win by absolute majority. In this case, a runoff election would be held between Candidates A and B (the two candidates with the most votes), and the winner of the runoff would need to receive more than 50% of the votes.

The absolute majority electoral system is often used in countries where there are more than two major political parties, as it helps ensure that the winning candidate has broad support from the electorate. It is also sometimes referred to as the "50%+1" system.