It is winning with the most votes, even if that is not most of the votes. The difference between a plurality and a majority quietly shapes who wins American elections, and how.
A plurality means receiving more votes than any other candidate, but not necessarily more than half. A majority is more than 50 percent; a plurality is simply the largest share, even if it is well under half in a crowded field.
Most American elections are won by plurality. Under the common first past the post system, whoever gets the most votes wins, period, even with 35 percent in a five-way race. There is no requirement to cross 50 percent.
This has big consequences. A candidate opposed by a majority of voters can still win if the opposition splits among several rivals. It also fuels the spoiler effect, where a third candidate draws votes away and changes who wins, without winning themselves.
Alternatives try to fix this. Runoff elections pit the top two finishers head to head to guarantee a majority winner, and ranked choice voting lets voters rank candidates so the eventual winner has broad support. Both are responses to the quirks of plurality rule.
