Plurality voting

It has been suggested that this article be split into articles titled First past the post and Plurality (voting). (Discuss) (May 2024)

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Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which the candidates in an electoral district who poll more than any other (that is, receive a plurality) are elected.^[1]

Under single-winner plurality voting, and in systems based on single-member districts, plurality voting is called single member [district] plurality (SMP),^[2][3] which is widely known as "first-past-the-post". In SMP/FPTP the leading candidate, whether or not they have a majority of votes, is elected.^[4]

There are several versions of plurality voting for multi-member district.^[5] The system that elects multiple winners at once with the plurality rule and where each voter casts as many X votes as the number of seats in a multi-seat district is referred to as plurality block voting. A semi-proportional system that elects multiple winners elected at once with the plurality rule and where each voter casts more than one vote but fewer than the number of seats to fill in a multi-seat district is known as limited voting. A semi-proportional system that elects multiple winners elected at once with the plurality rule and where each voter casts just one vote in a multi-seat district is known as single non-transferable voting.

Plurality voting is widely used throughout the English-speaking world as a result of its spread by the British Empire, including in most of the United States. Outside of the English-speaking world, it is less popular^{[citation needed]} than its close relatives in the runoff family of methods. Overall, more countries in the world use a form of proportional representation than use plurality or a form of runoff.^[6]