They don't mean 50 per cent of the votes cast, but 50 per cent of the votes counted. (politics.co.uk)
The # 500 deposit which candidates lose if they fail to get five per cent of votes cast is another deterrent. (politics.co.uk)
The UK's process for withdrawing from the European Union took 47 per cent of the votes cast in a survey of nearly 2,000 people. (premierchristianity.com)