A runoff election is a second round of voting held when no candidate in an initial election manages to secure the required threshold of votes to win outright. Here’s a brief explanation of runoff elections:
- Purpose: To ensure the winning candidate has a clear majority of support.
- Trigger: Typically occurs when no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the first round.
- Participants: This usually involves the top two candidates from the first round.
- Timing: Held after the initial election, often a few weeks later.
- Outcome: The candidate with the most votes in the runoff wins, regardless of whether they achieve a majority.
- Common usage: Used in many countries for presidential elections and in some U.S. states for various offices.
- Advantages: Can prevent a candidate from winning with only a small plurality of votes.
- Disadvantages: This can lead to lower voter turnout and increased election costs.
Runoff elections aim to provide a clearer mandate for the winning candidate and ensure broader support from the electorate. They’re particularly useful in multi-candidate races where the vote might otherwise be split among several options.
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