Q&A of the Day – Who determines Plurality vs. Majority elections in Florida?
Each day I’ll feature a listener question that’s been submitted by one of these methods.
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Today’s entry: Looking at election results has me confused. Why are some races won with under 50% of the vote while others are heading to runoffs?
Bottom Line: Florida’s August Primary Elections are probably the most confusing of any election type. You have so many different types of elections coming together on one ballot. From local to federal races. From partisan primaries which only those registered in a specific political party may participate, to partisan primaries which are voted on by all voters if the August election determines the outcome in the election. And then yes, there are elections which are won by whomever accumulates the most votes and those which require 50% plus one vote to avoid a runoff. I don’t blame you for being confused.
In Florida we have two types of elections. Plurality, where the candidate who accumulates the most votes regardless of percentage wins, and Majority - where a candidate must win 50% plus one vote to avoid a runoff. Here are the elections that fall under each type in Florida according to the Florida Department of Elections:
Plurality: The partisan candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be nominated.
Majority: In nonpartisan races, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the top two candidates will be voted on in the general election.
So, it all comes down to whether a race is partisan or non-partisan which is probably more straight-forward than it may seem as you’re scrolling election results. Our system is actually less complicated than some states which have added a ranked choice voting system as well. Given South Florida’s historic struggles with the existing system, I’m hoping we never introduce it in Florida. Now onward to a November without election drama...fingers crossed.