Certain example embodiments relate to a distributed computing system including servers organized in a cluster and clients. One server is elected leader and is responsible for maintaining consensus information among the other servers. Each server is configured to determine whether a new leader election is to take place. If so, the respective server requests votes for a new leader from the other server(s) and determines whether it has won by a clear majority. Depending on the implementation, votes from eligible client devices are counted, either in a main election together with server votes, or in a tie-break election (if needed) after server votes. Once a server has won, the other servers are informed accordingly. It therefore is possible to maintain a highly-available, consistent, partition-tolerant cluster in the distributed computing systems, using client voters.