In an election between two candidates, the one who gets 88% of the votes is elected by a majority of 684 votes. What is the total number of votes polled? (all polled votes are valid)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. 900.
We are given that in an election between two candidates, one candidate receives 88% of the votes and wins by a majority of 684 votes. We need to find the total number of votes cast.
Let the total number of votes be V.
The candidate who wins (getting 88% of the votes) receives 88% of the total votes, i.e., 0.88V.
The other candidate receives the remaining votes, which is 100%−88%=12%of the total votes, i.e., 0.12V.
The majority is the difference between the votes of the winning candidate and the other candidate. According to the problem, this difference is 684 votes:
⇒ 0.88V - 0.12V = 684
Simplifying the left-hand side:
⇒ 0.76V = 684
To find the total number of votes, divide both sides of the equation by 0.76:
⇒ V =
⇒ V = 900
Thus, the total number of votes polled is 900.