What is the difference between a majority vote and a plurality vote?

• A. A majority vote requires more than half of the votes cast; a plurality is simply the largest number of votes and may not constitute a majority
• B. A majority vote is the largest number of votes; a plurality is more than half
• C. A majority vote is always the same as a plurality
• D. A majority vote never requires a majority

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how a winner is determined in different voting rules. A majority vote requires more than half of the votes cast to win. If there are 100 votes, you need at least 51. If no one reaches that threshold, many systems trigger a runoff or another process to try to achieve a majority.

In contrast, a plurality vote selects the candidate with the largest number of votes, even if that total is not more than half. This can happen when three or more options split the vote, so the winner has the most votes but not a majority. For example, with 100 votes, someone might get 40, another 35, and the last 25; the leader has the most votes but not a majority.

So, the difference is that majority means over half, while plurality is simply the largest plurality of votes, which may be less than a majority.