Final answer:
The candidate with 20 votes received a plurality vote. In a plurality election, this candidate would win, while a majority election might necessitate a runoff because no candidate received over 50% of the votes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The candidate who received a plurality vote is the one with the most votes, even if that amount is not a majority of the votes cast. In the scenario you've presented, the candidate with 20 votes received the plurality as compared to the ones with 16 and 10 votes. Therefore, in a plurality election, this candidate would be declared the winner, whereas in a majority election, since no candidate secured over 50% of the votes, further action, like a runoff, might be required
It's important to note that plurality systems are often considered simpler and more straightforward. This is evident in many presidential elections in the United States, where the candidate with the most votes wins, such as with Abraham Lincoln in 1860 or more recent Senate races. However, this raises issues for minority representation and the principle that the winner should ideally represent the majority's choice.