Elections & terms
runoff election
A second round between the top finishers when no one clears the required threshold, usually a majority, in the first round.
In full
Runoffs guarantee a majority winner but require voters to return, and turnout typically falls sharply. Several states use them for primaries and a few for general elections. Ranked-choice voting is sometimes adopted as an instant-runoff alternative that reaches a majority winner in a single election.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.