Two candidates contested an election. The winning candidate scored 54% of the valid votes and won by 88 votes. If 58 votes were declared invalid, find the total number of votes polled in the election?

1158

Let the number of valid votes be $V$.

Since there were only two candidates:

• Winning candidate = 54% of valid votes
• Losing candidate = 46% of valid votes

Winning margin:

$54\% - 46\% = 8\% \text{ of valid votes}$

Given the winning margin is 88 votes:

$8\% \times V = 88$

$V = \frac{88 \times 100}{8} = 1100$

Total votes polled = Valid votes + Invalid votes

$1100 + 58 = 1158$