Attachment taken from here.

47.83%
34.78%
47.83%
21.74%
8.70%
21.74%
13.04%
4.35%
0%
34.78%
---------- +
234.31 %

Which is more then 100%

The problem is that the percentage is calculated from the total voters and the votes. In this example there are 23 voters, and for example 11 votes for C++, which is indeed 47.83. But it's fails to take into account that 1 voter can make more then 1 vote.

This is the correct way to tally votes when someone can vote more than once. Regardless of whether someone votes more than once, 47% of all those polled use Java. 47% of all those polled use C++. Obviously that means that there are some people who use Java AND C++. But when polls allow for more than one answer, the nature of statistics don't require it to equal 100% because it's not as if you're breaking a pie into fractions and everyone belongs just in one of those pieces.

That's a weird statement. Because the '%' symbol means percent. As in "per cent" Which is Latin for "x per 100".


The total in this poll is 234.31 per 100....

Let me try to explain it a different way. Let's say that a bunch of people are given a survey and have to choose whether they eat apples, bananas, or pears.

Tommy likes apples and bananas.
Susie likes apples.
Johnny likes pears and bananas.

Two of the three people who voted like apples. Two-thirds of the people who voted like apples. 66% like apples.

Two of the three people who voted like bananas. Two-thirds of the people who voted like bananas. 66% like bananas.

One of the three people who voted like pears. One-third of the people who voted like pears. 33% like pears.

Now let's say someone comes along and asks how popular apples are. You can say that of the people you surveyed, 66% of them eat apples. And now someone else comes along and asks how popular banans are. You can say that of the people you surveyed, 66% of them eat bananas.

But 66% + 66% + 33% > 100%

Nice explanation Dani.