Declining Voter Turnout and Rising Costs Highlight Problems with Runoff Elections, New Report Finds
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A new report shows that runoff elections are not only expensive, but in 2024 were less effective than in any other election in modern history at providing adequate representation.
The nonpartisan better elections group FairVote released the report Monday, which found that every primary runoff in the 2024 cycle experienced a significant drop in turnout compared to previous cycles.
The group found a median decrease of 63% in these elections. This marks the largest decline in turnout for primary runoffs since FairVote began tracking these elections in 1994.
Additionally, 81% of candidates who won these primary runoffs received fewer votes in the second round than in the first -- an eye-opening number when one considers that these runoffs likely decided the election outcome outright.
JUST A REMINDER: Only 7% of eligible voters have decided 87% of US elections.
High Costs, Low Turnout: A Growing Problem
The study also highlighted the burden runoff elections have on the taxpayer. While no statewide primary runoffs occurred this year, taxpayers still bore a high cost, with estimates ranging from $6.9 million to $12 million.
Given how critical these elections are, the costs can be far greater depending on the state and race. Kennesaw State University, for example, found that the 2020 Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs cost the state $75 million.
And the costs continue to grow while voters who demand better representation see zero return-on-investment.
“With runoff elections, we pay more to get less – weeks more of toxic campaigning and dramatically fewer voters actually heard at the polls," said FairVote Director of Research and Policy Deb Otis.
The decline in turnout is not a new phenomenon but rather a consistent trend that has worsened over time.
A closer look at the 294 federal primary runoffs held in 10 Southern states between 1994 and 2024 shows 97% of these elections experienced turnout reductions, with a median decline of 41%.
The situation has become progressively worse each election cycle, with the 2024 primary runoffs seeing a 63% drop in turnout.
FairVote advocates for ranked choice voting as a solution to end the need for runoff elections. It is a voting method that can determine a majority winner on election day, whether in the primary or general election.
“Ranked choice voting is a faster, cheaper, better alternative. That’s why dozens of cities and states already use it in place of runoffs, including for military voters in Southern states," said Otis.
Under ranked choice voting, if no candidate gets a majority of first-choice selections, an instant round of runoff kicks in that eliminates the last place candidates and applies their voters' second choice to the tally.
If there still isn't a majority winner, subsequent rounds of elimination are conducted until one candidate has at least 50%+1 of the vote. It serves the function of a runoff without the added cost and lower turnout.
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