Absolute_majority

An absolute majority or majority of the entire membership (in American English, a supermajority voting requirement) is a voting basis 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.

In parliamentary procedure, the vote of a majority of the entire membership is frequently an alternative to a requirement of previous notice. A motion to rescind and expunge from the minutes can only be passed by a majority of the entire membership. If the deliberative assembly is a board of a larger organization, a majority of the entire membership means a majority of board members.RONR (10th ed.) p. 390-391

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