Instant runoff voting is slowing down.

Only one North Carolina town — Hendersonville — will use the voting method this year as part of a pilot project.

After using instant-runoff voting, plurality elections and traditional runoffs, the Cary Town Council decided to stick with a traditional runoff.

Instant runoff voting is a newer method that avoids the expense of a second election by allowing voters to designate a second choice on their ballot. If no candidate wins a majority, second-choice votes are then counted, essentially creating an "instant" runoff.

Wednesday was the deadline for a town or city to volunteer with the State Board of Elections for the voting method in this fall's elections.

Voter activist Joyce McCloy, who opposes IRV, called it a "blow to lobbying groups who had set their hopes" on Cary.

A bill in Congress would require new voting machines by 2012.

In North Carolina, the bill's requirements for an individual paper trail would mean millions of dollars to replace machines that were just bought a year ago.

Supporters argue the bill is needed after years of problems with uncounted votes, broken machines and charges of voter intimidation.

"It's irresponsible to not have a paper backup," said Joyce McCloy, founder of N.C. Verified Voting.

But others say the bill is overkill, since existing roll-style paper trails are enough.

"It is a very good-intentioned bill that is not practical, reasonable or cost-effective," said state elections director Gary Bartlett. (N&O)