Majority Rule vs. Minority Rule: What's the Difference, and Why Does It Matter for Ballot Measures?

One of the most basic ideas in American democracy is that the side with more votes wins. But efforts are underway by legislatures across the country, in states including North Dakota, South Dakota and Missouri, that would change that rule for ballot measures. These efforts would replace longstanding systems of majority rule with minority rule instead.

What Is Majority Rule?

Majority rule means that the candidate or proposal supported by more than half of total votes wins. If 100 people vote on a ballot measure and 51 vote "Yes," the measure passes under majority rule — even if it's by a single vote.

Majority rule is the default for most elections and most ballot measures in the United States, and it traces back to the country's founding documents, including the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers. When people use the word "democracy" in everyday conversation, they often mean “majority rule.”

Under majority rule, if opponents of a proposal can't convince more than half of voters to agree with them, they lose.

What Is Minority Rule?

Minority rule means a minority group of voters can control an outcome, even if the majority wants something different. Minority rule is what happens when voting rules demand more than 50%+1 support for something to pass.

Under minority rule, the minority viewpoint can block a popular proposal.

What Is Supermajority Rule? How does it differ from minority rule?

Supermajority rule is just another term for minority rule. It requires more than a simple majority for something to pass, meaning that the minority can block popular amendments. Common thresholds are three-fifths (60%), two-thirds (67%), or three-quarters (75%). The higher the threshold, the smaller the minority needed to block something. At a 60% threshold, just over 40% of voters — a minority — can prevent a measure from passing.

Case Study: North Dakota's Measure 2

What is Measure 2 in North Dakota? It's a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment that will appear on the ballot for voters to decide in November 2026.

Currently, North Dakota's constitution allows constitutional amendments — whether proposed by the legislature or by citizen initiative — to pass with a simple majority. Measure 2 would raise that threshold to 60%, meaning any future amendment would need a supermajority “yes” vote to take effect. In other words, future amendments would be subject to minority rule.

Just over 40% of voters could block a constitutional amendment that the other 60% support.

Because some amendments could be voted on during elections that few people pay attention to, it’s estimated that as few as 7.6% of eligible North Dakota voters could block a ballot proposal from taking effect. That means fewer than 1 in 13 North Dakota voters could potentially override the wishes of the other 12 out of 13.

Measure 2 will appear on North Dakota's November 2026 General Election ballot, alongside races for the state's at-large congressional seat and state legislative seats.

Case Study: South Dakota's Amendment L

What is Constitutional Amendment L in South Dakota? South Dakota's Amendment L is a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment for voters to decide in November of 2026.

South Dakota's constitution currently allows constitutional amendments — whether referred by the legislature or initiated by citizen petition — to pass with a simple majority. Amendment L would require 60% of the vote to pass an amendment.

If passed it would result in minority rule for ballot measures in South Dakota. Just over 40% of voters could block a constitutional amendment supported by a majority.
Because some amendments could be voted on during elections that few people pay attention to, it is estimated that as few as 13.8% of registered voters could block a ballot proposal from taking effect. That means fewer than 1 in 7 South Dakota voters could potentially override the wishes of the other 6 out of 7.

Why Does This Matter?

These aren't isolated proposals. They're part of a broader, nationwide trend of politicians making it harder for citizens to pass ballot measures — by raising signature requirements, adding new procedural hurdles, or, as in North Dakota and South Dakota, raising the vote threshold needed to pass a constitutional amendment in the first place. Tracking has identified more than 90 bills introduced in state legislatures this year alone that would weaken the ballot measure process in some way, following a year in which attacks on direct democracy nearly doubled from the prior year.

Bottom Line:

Whatever side of an issue you're on, the underlying question raised by proposals like Measure 2 and Amendment L is the same: should the side with more votes win, or should a smaller group be able to override the majority?

How does majority rule work for ballot measures?

Under majority rule, a ballot measure passes if more than 50% of those voting on it vote "Yes." This is the standard for most ballot measures and elections in the U.S. today.

What would Measure 2 (North Dakota) and Amendment L (South Dakota) do?

Both are legislatively-referred constitutional amendments on the November 2026 ballot. Each would raise the threshold for passing future constitutional amendments — whether proposed by the legislature or by citizen petition — from a simple majority (50%+1) to a 60% supermajority, meaning just over 40% of the vote can block any amendment.

Where did these measures come from?

Both Measure 2 and Amendment L were placed on the ballot by politicians — the North Dakota General Assembly and the South Dakota Legislature, respectively — rather than through a citizen signature campaign.

When will voters decide on these measures?

Both Measure 2 in North Dakota and Amendment L in South Dakota will appear on the November 2026 General Election ballot, alongside races for Congress, the state legislature, and other state and local offices.

How can I make sure my vote counts on questions like these?

Look up your sample ballot ahead of time so you know every question you'll be asked to decide — not just the candidate races — and take time to understand what a "Yes" or "No" vote means for each one before Election Day.