The majority loser criterion is a criterion to evaluate

single-winner voting system A single-member district is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. Single-member districts are also sometimes called single-winner vot ...

s. The criterion states that if a majority of voters prefers every other candidate over a given candidate, then that candidate must not win. Either of the

Condorcet loser criterion In single-winner voting system theory, the Condorcet loser criterion (CLC) is a measure for differentiating voting systems. It implies the majority loser criterion but does not imply the Condorcet winner criterion. A voting system complying with ...

or the

mutual majority criterion The mutual majority criterion is a criterion used to compare voting systems. It is also known as the majority criterion for solid coalitions and the generalized majority criterion. The criterion states that if there is a subset S of the candidate ...

implies the majority loser criterion. However, the

Condorcet criterion An electoral system satisfies the Condorcet winner criterion () if it always chooses the Condorcet winner when one exists. The candidate who wins a majority of the vote in every head-to-head election against each of the other candidatesthat is, a ...

does not imply the majority loser criterion, since the minimax method satisfies the Condorcet but not the majority loser criterion. Also, the

majority criterion The majority criterion is a single-winner voting system criterion, used to compare such systems. The criterion states that "if one candidate is ranked first by a majority (more than 50%) of voters, then that candidate must win". Some methods that ...

is logically independent from the majority loser criterion, since the plurality rule satisfies the majority but not the majority loser criterion, and the anti-plurality rule satisfies the majority loser but not the majority criterion. There is no positional scoring rule which satisfies both the majority and the majority loser criterion, but several non-positional rules, including many Condorcet rules, do satisfy both criteria. Methods that comply with this criterion include

Schulze Schulze is a German surname, from the medieval office of Schulze, or village official. Notable people with the surname include: * Andrew Schulze (1896–1982), clergyman and civil rights activist * William August Schulze, rocket scientist recru ...

ranked pairs Ranked pairs (sometimes abbreviated "RP") or the Tideman method is an electoral system developed in 1987 by Nicolaus Tideman that selects a single winner using votes that express preferences. The ranked-pairs procedure can also be used to create ...

, Kemeny–Young, Nanson, Baldwin,

Coombs Coombs is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anthony Coombs (politician) (born 1952), British politician * Anthony Coombs (Canadian football) (born 1992), Canadian football player * Bobby Coombs (1908–1991), America ...

, Borda, Bucklin,

instant-runoff voting Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is a type of ranked preferential voting method. It uses a majority voting rule in single-winner elections where there are more than two candidates. It is commonly referred to as ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the Un ...

, contingent voting, and

anti-plurality voting Anti-plurality voting describes an electoral system in which each voter votes ''against'' a single candidate, and the candidate with the fewest votes against wins. Anti-plurality voting is an example of a positional voting method. Example In ...

. Methods that do not comply with this criterion include plurality,

minimax Minimax (sometimes MinMax, MM or saddle point) is a decision rule used in artificial intelligence, decision theory, game theory, statistics, and philosophy for ''mini''mizing the possible loss for a worst case (''max''imum loss) scenario. When de ...

, Sri Lankan contingent voting, supplementary voting,

approval voting Approval voting is an electoral system in which voters can select many candidates instead of selecting only one candidate. Description Approval voting ballots show a list of the options of candidates running. Approval voting lets each voter i ...

, and

score voting Score voting or range voting is an electoral system for single-seat elections, in which voters give each candidate a score, the scores are added (or averaged), and the candidate with the highest total is elected. It has been described by various ...

References

{{voting systems Electoral system criteria

See also

References