What type of voting allows a candidate to win by securing the most votes, regardless of whether that is a majority?

The voting system that allows a candidate to win by securing the most votes, regardless of whether that amount constitutes a majority, is known as a plurality vote. In this voting method, the candidate with the highest number of votes is declared the winner, even if they do not achieve more than 50% of the total votes cast. This system is commonly used in many elections, particularly in single-winner districts, where the aim is to simply have one candidate emerge with the most support.

For instance, in an election with multiple candidates where votes are split among them, it's entirely possible for a candidate to win by receiving 30% of the votes if the remaining candidates receive 25%, 20%, and 15%. This contrasts with a majority vote system, which requires a candidate to receive more than half of the votes to be declared the winner, thus making plurality voting less stringent. The other options such as constitutional and runoff votes pertain to different voting scenarios or procedures that do not directly reflect the concept of winning without a majority.