Only ten of the fifty states in the United States require runoff elections.  Georgia is one of them.  If a candidate fails to win a majority of the votes, a runoff election is held.  In the other forty states in the Union, whoever gets the most votes wins.  Georgia’s Secretary of State is urging the Georgia legislature to change the runoff system in 2024.

“Georgia is one of the few remaining states using the General Election Runoff model,” said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “Next year, there will be a contentious presidential election – and families across Georgia will be settling down for the holidays shortly after – let’s give them a break and take another costly and unnecessary election off the thanksgiving table. I’m calling on the General Assembly to visit this topic next session and eliminate this outdated distraction.”

The legislative session begins in January, and legislators have a wide range of options to consider.

“No one wants to be dealing with politics in the middle of their family holiday,” said Raffensperger. “Our county election offices will already be securing the 2024 presidential election with audits and certifying those results. Let’s not burden them with another election.”

Georgia’s 2022 midterms shattered previous turnout records and achieved a high level of access for Georgia voters. Some counties had as many as 19 days of Early Voting in the General Election, and Georgia voters needed no excuse to vote early or by mail. Georgia continues to be a national leader in providing safe, secure, and accessible elections to all eligible Georgians.