[EM] Defining Majority [was: Blake's margins arguments]

[Olli Salmi]

At 13:21 -0500 29.3.2003, Dave Ketchum wrote:
>Makes sense to go to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, of which 
>10th edition is dated 2000 (this is where those who want the 
>official word for meeting order go):

Official in the US.

>A majority is more than half.  If you want something else, such as 
>50%+1, say so.

More than half of what?

At 17:11 +0200 20.11.2001, Olli Salmi wrote:
>There are many kinds of majority:
>1) ayes>noes (majority of members present and voting)
>2) ayes>noes+abstentions (majority of members present)
>3) ayes>noes+abstentions+absences (majority of members)

1) common here and the USA, 2) common in Germany, 3) used in the 
constructive vote of no confidence.
In elections, Reopen Nominations in Britain and None of the Above in 
the USA are formal abstentions which count as noes.

Malta just voted on EU membership. The opposition Labour Party urged 
people not to vote and then claimed that the result was not valid 
because the majority of the electorate was not in favour of joining.

Olli Salmi