Which is better for minorities - Instant Runoff Voting or Traditional Runoff Elections?

Some instant runoff voting advocates claim that minority candidates are harmed by traditional runoff elections. Part of the stems from due to tremendous barriers to voting that existed several years ago. What may have been true 20 or 30 years ago has changed: voting rights and voting accessibility have both improved exponentially. In North Carolina, in fact, minority leaders have been outspoken in their opposition to IRV and spoken in favor of traditional runoff elections. There have been several traditional runoff elections that propelled minority candidates into office.

A tale of three different election contests with traditonal runoff elections:

Rocky Mount, NC, City Council Race Ward B. Lois Watkins v Tom Looney, Nov 2007.

The city of Rocky Mt NC held a runoff election for the Ward B City Council race because the Oct 9 election didn't produce a clear winner. The traditional runoff election, held Tuesday, Nov. 6 2007 ended up having a higher turnout than the October election.

Incumbent Lois Watkins trailed Tom Looney in the October election, but came back to nearly double her vote count in the runoff, easily defeating Looney.

The turnout for the Ward B Contest in October was 1,230 voters, and in increased to 1,678 votes in the November runoff. Many of the 1,678 votes were cast during no-excuse, one-stop voting.

Election Facts:

Lois Watkins - African American Winner, beat Tom Looney by 320 votes in the runoff election.
raised $13,000 for her campaign,
votes received on Oct 9 - 565
votes received on Nov 6 - 999
difference increase - 434

Tom Looney, Caucasian
raised $77,000,
votes received on Oct 9 - 577
votes received on Nov 6 - 679
difference increase - 102

Election summary - ward 4
Total Oct 9 turnout - 1,230 votes
Total Nov 6 runoff - 1,678 votes
Difference increase - 448 votes

Grassroots activism is what elected Lois Watkins, not money, not anything else, just strong interest by the electorate.
http://www.ncvoter.net/runofforirv.html

Durham North Carolina Mayoral Contest, Nov 2005. William Bill Bell v Jonathan Alston
(Both candidates are African American).

Turnout was higher in the November election and while both candidates increased their vote tally, Mayor Bell was re-elected with 85% of the vote.

"Meeker Re-Elected Raleigh Mayor; Road, Housing Bonds Pass" Oct 12, 2005 ...Instead, incumbent William V. Bell will face Jonathan Alston in the general election on Nov. 11 and go for his third term in office.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/120484/

The current elected City Council of Rocky Mount consists of 4 African Americans, 3 Caucasians and the Mayor who is Caucasian.

OFFICAL CANVASS
NON-PARTISAN MUNICIPALSUMMARY REPORT
PRIMARY ELECTION
CITY OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

OCTOBER 11, 2005

MAYOR

VOTE FOR 1
WILLIAM V. "BILL" BELL . . . . . . 11,333 88.00
VINCENT BROWN . . . . . . . . . WITHDREW
JACQUELINE D. WAGSTAFF . . . . . . 567 4.40
JONATHAN ALSTON . . . . . . . . . . 787 6.11
http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/elec/2005_Election/Results/Primary/2005_Primary_Results.html


NON-PARTISAN MUNICIPAL ELECTION
DURHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
NOVEMBER 8, 2005

DURHAM CITY MAYOR JONATHAN ALSTON . . . . . . . . 3,007 14.06
WILLIAM V. BILL BELL. . . . . . . 18,171 84.98
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 .96
http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/elec/2005_Election/Results/Election/2005_Election_Result.html

Rocky Mount, NC City Council Ward 1, Andre Knight vs Kelvin Barnhill in 2003

Both candidates are African American.

Municipal races stir rumors August 20, 2006... Six candidates filed to run for Ward 1 in 2003, and Knight said he expects several people will run again in 2007. Knight said he will run for re-election in the ward. And Kelvin Barnhill, who lost to Knight in a runoff in 2003, said he may enter next year's race.

Demographics of Rocky Mount, North Carolina: As of the census of 2000: The racial makeup of the city was 40.92% White, 56.02% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.

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