What is the purpose of a runoff election?

The purpose of a runoff election is to ensure that the winner of an election has received a majority of the votes. In Minnesota, a runoff election is held when a candidate does not receive more than 50% of the vote. This is known as a "majority vote" situation, in which the candidate who received the most votes did not receive the majority of votes. Runoff elections are designed to ensure that the winning candidate has a clear mandate from the electorate. This way, the winning candidate won’t have any significant opposition from the minority of voters who didn’t choose them in the initial election. Runoff elections also encourage more participation in the electoral process by requiring a candidate to get more than half the votes to win. Runoff elections are also important because they give a chance for a candidate to gain support from a wider voter base. For example, if two candidates are in a close race, a runoff election might give the opportunity for a third candidate to gain the support of voters who did not initially choose either of the two candidates. In Minnesota, runoff elections are not held in primary or special elections. They are only used to determine the winner of an election when a majority has not been reached in the first round. Runoff elections are an important part of the election process in Minnesota and allow for the democratic expression of the will of the people.

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What is the purpose of a runoff election?

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