majorities

Majorities are thresholds used in voting and decision-making to determine when an option is approved or a body action is valid. In its broad sense, a majority means that the option with the most support is chosen, but in formal rules it refers to a specific numerical requirement. Several distinct concepts are commonly used: simple majority, absolute majority, supermajority, and plurality.

A simple majority, or majority in many contexts, requires more votes in favor than against among valid votes cast. It does not necessarily require more than half of all possible votes if some ballots are invalid or abstentions occur. For example, if 60 valid votes are cast and 31 are in favor, the measure passes.

An absolute majority requires more than half of all eligible voters or all votes that could have been cast, regardless of how many abstain. With 100 eligible voters, achieving an absolute majority would mean at least 51 votes in favor, even if many voters do not participate.

A supermajority is a threshold higher than a simple majority, such as two-thirds or three-fifths. Supermajorities are often used for constitutional amendments, fundamental changes, or veto overrides to ensure broad consensus.

A plurality, or relative majority, occurs when an option receives more votes than any other option but not necessarily a majority of all votes. Plurality is common in multi-candidate elections where no option secures more than half the votes.

Majorities influence legitimacy and the stability of decisions, and the specific threshold chosen can reflect the importance and consensus required for different kinds of actions.