What occurs during a run-off primary?

During a run-off primary, only the top two candidates who received the most votes in the initial primary election compete against each other. This situation typically arises when no candidate secures the required majority of votes needed to win outright in the first round. The goal of the run-off is to ensure that the eventual nominee has majority support within their party.

In most states, the necessity for a run-off is established by specific voting laws, which dictate that a candidate must receive over 50% of the votes to claim the nomination. If this threshold is not met, the top two candidates enter the run-off to determine which one will go on to represent the party in the general election. This process effectively narrows the choices down to a direct contest between the leading contenders, allowing voters to make a more informed decision between the final candidates.

Contextually, other options describe different aspects of the electoral process but do not accurately capture the essence of what a run-off primary entails. For example, voting for party leadership relates more to internal party elections rather than candidate selection, while electing candidates more broadly suggests a general election scenario rather than a primary run-off. Finally, the final selection of a party representative implies a conclusion to the candidate selection process, which