Final answer:
The Electoral winner can be victorious in the Electoral College with a plurality of popular votes, as seen in Abraham Lincoln's 1860 win, despite not achieving a majority. Majority elections, typically used at the local level, require the winning candidate to have over 50% of the votes, potentially leading to a runoff if no one achieves this threshold.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing the number of times the eventual Electoral winner achieved a majority of the popular votes counted, it is vital to understand the differences between a majority and a plurality. A majority requires a candidate to receive more than 50.1% of the popular votes. In the case of the Electoral College, whichever candidate receives a majority of over 270 electoral votes is declared the winner of the presidential election, irrespective of the popular vote distribution.
In plurality or first-past-the-post elections, the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not secure a majority. Historical examples include Abraham Lincoln winning the 1860 presidential election with only 40 percent of the vote. However, he obtained a majority in the Electoral College, hence becoming the president. This demonstrates the distinction between winning the popular vote and securing the presidency through the Electoral College system where a plurality can suffice if it translates into a majority of electoral votes.
Systems that require a pure majority will have a runoff election if no candidate surpasses the 50 percent plus one vote threshold. Many local encounters support a majority system, while plurality elections are common at the state and national levels in the United States.