§ 15450 Plurality Vote Requirement

• •By default, the candidate with the most votes (a plurality) wins.
• •The California Constitution can change this rule for certain elections.
• •Cities and counties can write their own election rules and can require a higher vote percentage, like a majority.

Three people run for mayor in a town. One gets 40% of the votes, another 35%, and the third 25%. Because the town hasn't set a special rule, the person with 40% wins.

The law lets the person with the most votes win unless the town's charter says you need, say, a 50%+ majority. If the town's charter required a majority, they'd have to hold another vote because no one got over 50%.