RALEIGH, N.C. - With 13 candidates vying for the vacant seat on North Carolina's Court of Appeals this Tuesday (Nov. 2), state election officials came up with an innovative approach to avoid a runoff election. When voters step into the voting booth, they will select a first, second and third choice to fill the spot. If no candidate gets the 50 percent-plus-one vote needed to win the seat, election officials will then tally up voters' second and third choices.



Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, says this "instant runoff" will operate just like a traditional runoff election.



"But instead of waiting 30 days and having another statewide runoff election that would cost $5 dollars, this allows us to do it all on the same election day."



National attention will be on the state Tuesday since this will be the first statewide instant runoff election in the country. Those who oppose instant runoff elections worry that county boards of election won't be able to accurately keep track of the instant runoff ballots, which will involve some hand-counting.



But Phillips argues an instant runoff election will help combat voter fatigue, and get more of the electorate involved in the process.



"When you have a runoff election, frequently, a lot of people don't pay attention, very few people vote, yet it does cost the same amount of money regardless of how many candidates are on the ballot."



The contested seat for the state Court of Appeals was occupied by Jim Wynn, until he was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in August. The interim incumbent is Cressie Thigpen of Raleigh.