Majority - Parliamentary Rules

Parliamentary Rules

In parliamentary procedure, the term 'majority' refers to "more than half." As it relates to a vote, a majority is more than half of the votes cast (noting that an abstention is simply the refusal to vote). The definition of "majority vote" can differ, however, from one parliamentary authority to another. Robert's Rules of Order defines a majority as being more than one half of the votes cast including votes for ineligible candidates or choices. The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (abbreviated TSC) defines a majority as being more than half all eligible votes cast.

For example, assume that votes are cast for three people for an office: Alice and Bob, who are eligible; and Carol, who is ineligible.

By Robert's Rules of Order, no candidate has been elected as no candidate gained 11 votes. However, by The Standard Code, Alice is elected as she gained more than half of the seventeen eligible votes.

In politics, political voting systems, and even in parliamentary procedure in some cases, there are several different popular concepts relating to a majority:

• Simple majority
• Supermajority
• Absolute majority
• Two-thirds majority
• Relative majority
• Double majority - a majority of votes in a majority of states or jurisdictions.