The runoff election cost more than $50 per voter, said Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina.
In a news release, Hall said Tuesday's vote took about $4 million to operate about 3,000 polling places and process the ballots of about 75,000 voters. In some counties, turnout was so low that the cost per vote reached $70, Hall said.
"Local taxpayers foot the bill, not the state, which may be one reason why state lawmakers have been slow to address the problem of expensive, low-turnout runoffs," Hall said in the news release.
Hall supports instant runoff voting, in which voters can mark a first and second choice on election day. The state has tested the system, but it is not used widely.
"There's got to be a better way than these embarrassing statewide runoff elections," Hall said.
