June 13, 2024
What voters need to know about participating in SC’s primary runoffs
By Abraham Kenmore
Nineteen legislative races had more than two candidates in yesterday’s primaries. Of those, 12 (63%) will require a runoff election in two weeks because no candidate received a majority of votes….
“These runoffs add significant and unnecessary taxpayer costs,” said Nicole Sanchez, President of Better Ballot SC. “Instant runoff voting is a simple upgrade to our election system that determines a majority winner on primary day for legislative races and general election day for local office elections. Thus, instant runoff voting saves local and state governments money.”…
“Fewer citizens vote in legislative and local runoff elections,” said Frank Knapp Jr., President and CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce. “So, the taxpayers pay for two elections with very few voters participating in the second. The result is higher costs and a winning candidate who very few people voted for. What a crazy, wasteful, and undemocratic process.”