Final answer:
In a majority voting system, an option must receive more than 50% of the votes to win. If there is no clear majority winner, alternative voting methods like ranked choice voting can be used. The number of points in the sample is the total number of votes cast by the board members for the two motions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the given scenario, there are three families: the Ortegas, the Schmidts, and the Alexanders, who are voting on the menu for New Year's Day.
They have three options to choose from, and they agree that the majority vote wins. In a majority voting system, for a proposal to win, it must receive more than 50% of the votes cast.
If their vote ends up looking like Table 18.1, where each entree receives one vote, there is no majority winner.
In this case, they may need to consider alternative voting methods, such as ranked choice voting, where voters rank their preferences and the option with the most top-ranked votes wins.
The number of points in the sample would be the total number of votes cast by the board members for the two motions.
For example, if there are 5 board members and each motion requires a vote, then the number of points in the sample would be 5 + 5 = 10.