What is a “supermajority” in an election?
In Arkansas, a “supermajority” in an election is when a measure receives more than two-thirds of the total votes cast in an election. A supermajority is usually required to pass certain measures or amendments in the Arkansas Constitution. For example, constitutional amendments must receive at least three-quarters of the votes in order to pass. This higher requirement is necessary because any changes to the Arkansas Constitution require a higher level of approval than any regular law. For most other laws, only a majority of the votes is needed to pass. But in some cases, a supermajority is required to pass legislation or to make certain changes. This means that the measure must have received two-thirds or more of the total votes in the election to pass. A supermajority is especially important in Arkansas because it takes a higher level of approval from the public to make changes to the state’s constitution. This helps ensure that any changes to the constitution will be carefully considered by the voting public and that the majority of Arkansas citizens are in agreement before any changes can be made.
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