{{Unreferenced|date=October 2007}}

An '''absolute majority''' (or, in [[American English]], a [[supermajority]] [[vote|voting]] requirement) is a voting system which usually requires that more than half of ''all'' the members of a group (including those absent and those present but not voting) must vote in favour of a proposition in order for it to be passed. In practical terms, it may mean that abstention from voting could be equivalent to a ''no'' vote.

Absolute majority can be contrasted with [[simple majority]] which only requires a majority of those actually voting to approve a proposition for it to be enacted.

Absolute majority voting is most often used to pass significant changes to constitutions or to by-laws in order to ensure that there is substantial support for a proposal.

{{Majorities}}

[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category: Parliamentary procedure]]
[[Category:Voting theory]]

[[ca:Majoria absoluta]]
[[cs:Absolutní většina]]
[[es:Mayoría absoluta]]
[[nl:Absolute meerderheid]]
[[sv:Absolut majoritet]]