Split vote
Encyclopedia
A split vote is normally used synonymously with "deadlock
ed", "hung", or "evenly split" vote. It indicates a vote in which no decision can be made, as neither side has the majority.
The term can be used to indicate dissent by as little as a single vote, if a unanimous vote is required.
If a casting vote
is available, this may be used to break the deadlock. In other cases it may result in situations such as hung juries
or hung parliament
s.
, which occurs in an election
when the existence of two or more similar candidates reduces the votes received by each of them, reducing the chances of any one of them winning against another, significantly different, candidate. This can lead to a victory for a minority candidate.
Deadlock
A deadlock is a situation where in two or more competing actions are each waiting for the other to finish, and thus neither ever does. It is often seen in a paradox like the "chicken or the egg"...
ed", "hung", or "evenly split" vote. It indicates a vote in which no decision can be made, as neither side has the majority.
The term can be used to indicate dissent by as little as a single vote, if a unanimous vote is required.
If a casting vote
Casting vote
A casting vote is a vote given to the presiding officer of a council or legislative body to resolve a deadlock and which can be exercised only when such a deadlock exists...
is available, this may be used to break the deadlock. In other cases it may result in situations such as hung juries
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
or hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
s.
Vote Splitting
The term may also refer to vote splittingVote splitting
Vote splitting is an electoral effect in which the distribution of votes among multiple similar candidates reduces the chance of winning for any of the similar candidates, and increases the chance of winning for a dissimilar candidate....
, which occurs in an election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
when the existence of two or more similar candidates reduces the votes received by each of them, reducing the chances of any one of them winning against another, significantly different, candidate. This can lead to a victory for a minority candidate.