Declining Voter Turnout and Rising Costs Highlight Problems with Runoff Elections, New Report Finds

Picture of the US Capitol Building with American flags in front of it.
Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash. Unsplash+ License obtained by author.
Published: 17 Dec, 2024
Updated: 18 Jun, 2025
2 min read

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash

 

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.

IVP Donate

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.

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

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.

In this article

Related articles

vote here sign with people standing in line to vote.
DC Democrats Drag Their Feet to Give Voters Reforms They Voted For
Back in November, DC voters overwhelmingly approved Initiative 83, a measure that called for semi-open primaries and ranked choice voting (RCV) in all city elections. The problem – the DC City Council has yet to fully fund it....
15 Jul, 2025
-
4 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read

Latest articles

vote here sign with people standing in line to vote.
DC Democrats Drag Their Feet to Give Voters Reforms They Voted For
Back in November, DC voters overwhelmingly approved Initiative 83, a measure that called for semi-open primaries and ranked choice voting (RCV) in all city elections. The problem – the DC City Council has yet to fully fund it....
15 Jul, 2025
-
4 min read
Cartoon image of Cuomo and Adams running into each other with cars.
Adams and Cuomo Power Players Play Chicken With New York Elections
NYC Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are currently playing a game of chicken with each other – leveraging the city’s electoral system to pressure the other to quit the race. The question is: Who will blink first? Or… are they headed for a collision?...
14 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Open Primary NYC
5 Influential Forces in NYC that Threaten the Success of Open Primaries
New York City’s Charter Revision Commission (CRC) is considering a proposal to adopt a nonpartisan “Top Two” open primary system, which would allow the city’s 1.1 million independent voters to cast a ballot in primary elections they pay for....
14 Jul, 2025
-
13 min read