Relative Majority (Noun)
Meaning
(in an election with more than 2 options) the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number (but less that half of the votes).
Classification
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure.
Examples
- The party won the election with a relative majority, securing 37% of the votes and taking the lead among the five competing parties.
- In some electoral systems, a relative majority is enough to win the seat, but critics argue this can lead to unrepresentative outcomes.
- The voter turnout was high, but no single party achieved an absolute majority, forcing the largest party to form a coalition based on their relative majority.
- According to the election results, the leading candidate had a relative majority, but this was not enough to avoid a runoff election.
- The opposition party's relative majority in the parliamentary election was seen as a significant setback for the ruling party, which had held power for over a decade.