Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A plurality system is an electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins, regardless of whether they have obtained an absolute majority.
In a majority system, candidates need to obtain more than 50% of votes to win. If no candidate achieves this in the first round, there may be a runoff election between the top two candidates.
First-Past-The-Post (FPTP): First-past-the-post is another term for plurality systems where candidates with the most votes win, regardless of whether they have an absolute majority.