10 Facts About Plurality voting

Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which a candidate, or candidates, who poll more than any other counterpart, are elected.

Plurality voting is distinguished from majority voting, in which a winning candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes: more than half of all votes.

Also, not every plurality voting method is majoritarian, for example limited voting or the single non-transferable vote use plurality rules, but are considered semi-proportional systems.

Plurality voting is still used to elect members of a legislative assembly or executive officers in only a handful of countries, mostly in the English speaking world, for historical reasons.

An example for a "winner-take-all" plurality voting is system used at the state-level for election of most of the Electoral College in United States presidential elections.

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Single member plurality voting systems, often known as first past the post, is a simple system to use.

Plurality voting tends to reduce the number of political parties to a greater extent than most other methods do, making it more likely that a single party will hold a majority of legislative seats.

Studies suggest that plurality voting system fails to incentivize citizens to vote, which results in very low voter turnouts.

Under this system, many people feel that Plurality voting is an empty ritual that has no influence on the composition of legislature.

Voters are not assured that the number of seats that political parties are accorded will reflect the popular vote, which disincentives them from Plurality voting and sends the message that their votes aren't valued, and participation in elections does not seem necessary.