Can you solve problems of this type without using algebra?

If you are given the sum of two numbers and the difference between them, what are the two numbers?

This type of problem comes up a lot when talking about voting. For example, if the full U.S. Senate of 100 senators passed a bill with a margin of 24 votes, how many voted on each side?

If you look at this the right way, there is a technique that is simple to use and simple to remember for the next time.