What is the term for winning the highest number of votes without achieving a majority?

The term for winning the highest number of votes without achieving a majority is plurality. In an election, a candidate receives a plurality of votes when they have more votes than any other candidate but do not secure more than 50% of the total votes cast. This means that they can win even if the combined votes for all other candidates exceed their total.

Plurality is particularly relevant in systems that do not require a majority for victory, allowing a candidate to win with the largest, albeit not necessarily the majority share of the votes. This is often seen in elections with multiple candidates, where the votes can be divided among them, potentially leading to a situation where the winning candidate has less than half of the total votes, yet still wins.

The other terms offered refer to different concepts within voting systems. A majority indicates that a candidate needs more than half of the votes to win, consensus implies an agreement reached by a group, and a vote split refers to ballots being divided among various candidates, which can lead to outcomes like a plurality win. These distinctions highlight the unique nature of plurality voting compared to other electoral frameworks.