Legal Definitions - one-half plus one

Definition: One-half plus one is a common but imprecise way of approximating a majority. It is often used to refer to the number of votes or members needed to make a decision or pass a resolution.

For example, in a group of 100 members, a majority would be 51 votes (half plus one). However, if the group had an odd number of members, "half plus one" would not be a whole number, so it would not accurately represent a majority.

Instead, "a simple majority" is a better term to use when referring to majority rule. This means that more than half of the votes or members are needed to make a decision or pass a resolution.

For instance, if a group had 15 members, a simple majority would be 8 votes (more than half of 15). This ensures that decisions are made by a clear majority and not just a close approximation.