Pluralitet

Pluralitet, often translated as plurality in English, refers to the condition of being more numerous than other options in a given set. In political and electoral contexts, pluralitet denotes an outcome where the winning candidate or option has the largest share of votes but does not necessarily achieve a majority.

The term derives from Latin pluralitas and has cognates in several European languages, including Swedish and Norwegian where pluralitet is used with the same meaning. In these languages, as in English, it is distinguished from a majority, which requires more than half of the votes.

In elections, a plurality or first-past-the-post system awards victory to the candidate with the most votes in a single-member district, regardless of whether they exceed 50 percent. This contrasts with majority or two-round systems, which require a candidate to secure a majority or to face a runoff if no majority is achieved. Pluralitet systems are lauded for simplicity and decisiveness, but criticized for potentially underrepresenting the overall preferences of the electorate and for encouraging vote-splitting and strategic voting.

Variants and related concepts include methods designed to compensate for the lack of a majority, such as runoff elections or ranked-choice voting, as well as broader discussions of representation and political plurality. An election result described as a plurality winner implies no guarantee of majority support among voters.