Research finds runoff elections hurt minority representation

[cyberswede]

Research finds runoff elections hurt minority representation

Research by a University of Iowa business professor has found that minority-preferred political candidates are severely handicapped when they run in elections where the winner must get 50 percent of the vote to win without a runoff.

The research, by Tom Rietz, professor of finance in the Tippie College of Business, looks at the electability of candidates running to represent minority groups' interests against candidates preferred by majority groups. The research showed that, while minority-preferred candidates may get enough votes to win in multi-candidate races that don't require a majority of votes, they seldom achieve more than 50 percent. In the resulting runoff elections, they generally lose.

Rietz said the findings are important because 11 states require that candidates receive 50 percent of the vote to win a statewide election. But since the rules in those states handicap minority candidates from the start, he said it's that much more difficult for minorities in those states to have a voice in government.

For more information, read the University News Services release: http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2007/october/100407rietzelection.html.