The electoral system in which the winner should have more than all the votes of all the other contestants put together is called

Analyze the question: It asks for the electoral system where the winner must get more votes than all the other contestants combined. In other words, the winner needs more than 50% of the votes cast.

Explain the concepts:

• Simple majority (plurality): The candidate with the most votes wins, even if that is below 50%. For example, 40% beats 30%, 20% and 10%.
• Referendum: This is not a way of electing candidates. It is a direct vote by the electorate on a particular issue.
• Second ballot system: If no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round, a second round is held, usually between the top candidates. It is a method for reaching a majority, not the definition of the majority itself.
• Absolute majority system: The winner must get more than half (over 50%) of all valid votes, which is more than all the other candidates put together.

Solution: Suppose 100 valid votes are cast.

• Under a simple majority, a candidate with 40 votes can win.
• For a candidate to have more than all the others combined, they need at least 51 votes. This is an absolute majority.

So the system described is the absolute majority system.

Answer: D

Tip: Link "absolute" with "above 50%," meaning more than everyone else combined. Link "simple" with "the most votes," meaning only more than each rival individually. If an option mentions a run-off, that is the second ballot, which is the follow-up used when nobody reaches the absolute majority.