Final answer:
A majority election requires a candidate to receive over 50 percent of the votes, specifically 50 percent plus one. If no candidate meets this criterion, a runoff election is conducted.
Step-by-step explanation:
A type of election where a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the total vote, specifically 50 percent plus one additional vote, to be declared the winner is known as a majority election. This rule is called the majority rule. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a runoff election is held between the top two candidates. These elections are commonly used when the general election does not follow a primary or caucus. Majority elections are often associated with non-partisan races and are more frequently found at the local level, whereas state and national elections tend to use plurality voting systems.