Ballot Question Would End Runoff Elections

Should the city of Bradenton eliminate runoff elections for Mayor and City Council for a simpler plurality system that costs less money?

That ballot question will be posed to voters who head to the polls today.

Under the new system, races with multiple candidates would be declared by who gets the most votes, regardless of whether any candidate reaches 50 percent.

The Bradenton Herald noted that Florida adopted the change in its Constitution:

"In the 2010 primary, for example, Manatee County Commissioner Robin DiSabatino won a three-way race in the Republican primary with a plurality of votes," according to the Herald.

The Herald reported that runoff elections can be expensive, costing as much as $50,000 or $60,000, a bill that is shouldered by taxpayers.

The League of Women Voters is urging Bradenton voters not to adopt the measure. The organization noted in a written statement that the change would allow candidates with as little as 34 percent of the vote to win an election.

"The city is essentially creating a new voting envirornment, one in which a marginal candidate with factional backing can prevail in a large field of candidates," the League said.