“Progressive Bob Kiss was elected mayor of Vermont’s largest city Tuesday, winning on the second ballot of instant runoff voting under the city’s new election system. Kiss, a state representative, received 39 percent of the vote on the first ballot, while Democrat Hinda Miller had 31 percent and Republican Kevin Curley won 26 percent. Curley and two trailing independent candidates were then dropped out of the count and their votes re-allocated according to voters’ second choices. Kiss won on the second count, with 4,761 votes to Miller’s 3,966. Burlington was being closely watched by advocates of various election reforms.” (03/08/06)