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Simple English definitions for legal terms
half plus one
Read a random definition: Canadian Anti-Spam Law of 2010: Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations (CRTC)
A quick definition of half plus one:
Term: Half Plus One
Definition: Half plus one is a way to estimate a majority, but it is not always accurate. It means that if there are 100 people, a majority would be 51. However, if there is an odd number of people, half plus one would not be a whole number. So, it is better to use the term "simple majority" to describe majority rule. This means that more than half of the people need to agree. Another way to say this is "50 percent plus one."
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Half plus one is a common but not always accurate way of approximating a majority. For example, in a group of 100 people, a majority would be 51 people. However, if the group has an odd number of members, half plus one would not be a whole number. Therefore, it is better to use the term "simple majority" to indicate majority rule. Another term for this is 50 percent plus one.
Example: In a class of 25 students, half of the students would be 12.5. Since we cannot have half a student, we would round up to 13. Therefore, a simple majority in this class would be 14 students (half plus one).
Explanation: This example illustrates how half plus one can be an inaccurate way of determining a majority when dealing with odd numbers. In this case, a simple majority of 14 students would be needed to make a decision.