We typically use the phrase, “majority rules” when it comes to determining a winner in our elections. However, many times, a winner can be decided by less than a majority vote. Therefore, the proper phrase would be, “plurality rules”. In some states, getting a plurality is not enough. As a result, a second election or a runoff election is used to determine a winner. Eleven states have runoff elections, nine of them are in the South. Proponents of a runoff election support the notion that a majority should be earned by a candidate who wishes to be a party’s nominee. Opponents suggest that a runoff election is too costly to administer and that many who turned out to vote in the initial primary would not vote in a second election. Thus, a candidate may receive a majority vote, but would do so from a smaller voting population.
Should more states institute provisions for runoff elections? What are your thoughts on runoff elections?
Politics Matters 