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How does a plurality electoral system choose a winner?

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Map of Canada displaying the results of the 2008 federal election by province and territory, with regions shaded to indicate the leading party's share of the popular vote: blue for Conservative, red for Liberal, light blue for Bloc Quebecois, and orange for New Democratic Party. Each area is labeled with the number of seats won by each party, and a legend at the bottom summarizes national seat totals for each party. — election Canada's 2008 federal election results.

In a plurality electoral system, a winner is determined by a simple process: the candidate who receives more votes than any other individual opponent is elected. Unlike a majority system, a candidate does not need to secure more than 50 percent of the total votes cast to win.12

This method, often referred to as the first-past-the-post system, is the most common way of selecting candidates for public office. Because it only requires a candidate to poll the highest number of votes, it is possible for someone to win with only a minority of the total vote, particularly in contests with more than two candidates.132

The plurality system is favored for being easily understood by voters, providing quick results, and being cost-effective to operate. It typically functions best within a two-party system, as it tends to reward the strongest parties while potentially handicapping weaker ones.12