Majority Rule

An absolute majority means that half of all the votes cast plus at least one additional vote are necessary for a candidate to be elected or a proposal to be approved. If two candidates are running for an office, one must receive more than half of the votes, unless there is a tie vote, in which case some other method of determining a winner must be used. For example, under the Constitution a tie vote for president in the electoral college sends the process to the House of Representatives. If more than two candidates are running, it is possible that no candidate will receive an absolute majority of the votes cast. Then the winner may be determined by a runoff election between the two candidates with the most votes. One way to avoid the possibility of a runoff in this case is to simply select the candidate who receives the highest number of votes—a plurality—whether or not that number represents an absolute majority. Congressional elections in the United States are won on the basis of a plurality of the votes cast.

[Page p313]Most constitutions also require a supermajority of the votes, such as two-thirds or three-fourths, for some decisions or actions. Article I, section 7, provides that a veto by the president may be overturned “if approved by two thirds of” each house of Congress (see Vetoes), while Article II, section 2, requires that “two thirds of the Senators present” concur in treaties submitted by the president for their approval (see Ratification). A supermajority is also required for conviction after impeachment of public officials such as judges and the president. According to Article I, section 3: “[N]o Person shall be convicted [of impeachment] without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members [of the Senate] present.” Article V requires several supermajorities for proposal and ratification of constitutional amendments: two-thirds of both houses of Congress must propose amendments or two-thirds of the state legislatures must call for a constitutional convention, and three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions must ratify amendments.

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