plurality

Plurality is a term used in voting theory to describe a method in which the winner is the candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate, but not necessarily a majority of all votes. This contrasts with a majority requirement, where a candidate must win more than 50 percent. Plurality voting is commonly associated with first-past-the-post systems used in single-member districts, where each voter selects one candidate and the candidate with the largest share of votes wins.

In multi-candidate races, a candidate can win with only a plurality of the vote if no candidate reaches a majority. For example, in a three-c candidate race, percentages of 40%, 35%, and 25% would still result in the 40% candidate winning. This outcome can lead to vote-splitting, where the presence of multiple candidates fragments support and can affect the overall representativeness of the result. Proponents cite its simplicity, quick results, and stability in two-party systems, while critics note that plurality rules can yield winners who do not enjoy majority support and can distort the parliamentary or policy mandate.

To address these issues, some jurisdictions use runoff elections, where top candidates face a second round if no candidate achieves a required threshold, or adopt ranked-choice voting, which can transfer votes to preferences. Others employ proportional representation to align legislative seats with overall vote shares more closely. The concept of plurality also appears outside electoral systems, referring more generally to the largest count among competing categories.

In linguistics, plurality refers to grammatical number indicating more than one entity, as in the distinction between singular and plural forms.