What is the purpose of a runoff election?

Runoff elections are held when no candidate is able to obtain a majority of the vote during the initial election. This situation occurs when more than two candidates are vying for a single office, such as a spot on the city council. In North Carolina, runoff elections are governed by the State Board of Elections. They are held to give a definitive result when none of the candidates receive a majority of the votes in the initial election. The purpose of a runoff election is to decide a winner when no one candidate receives a majority of the votes. Instead of simply declaring the candidate with the most votes as the winner, a runoff election allows for a more nuanced decision by giving voters a second opportunity to make their voices heard. In a runoff election, the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round of voting proceed to a second round, and the voter is then asked to decide which of the two they would like to win. Runoff elections are also important because they help ensure that the winning candidate is truly the candidate that the majority of the electorate supports. This helps to ensure that the winner of the election will represent the majority of the voting population, and it helps to prevent a candidate from winning due to a "spoiler" effect from the other candidates. Ultimately, the purpose of a runoff election is to secure accurate representation by allowing citizens the opportunity to make their voices heard through a second round of voting. By giving voters the chance to decide the winner, runoff elections ensure that the candidate with the most support is the one who ultimately wins the election.

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What is the purpose of a runoff election?

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