runoff voting “vs.” democracy

in this case,

‘Instant runoff’ voting touted

In a city council race in which, for example, 10 people are vying for five at-large seats, voters would rank the candidates in their order of preference. When a candidate is the top choice of enough voters to clinch election, any excess votes for that candidate are redistributed to those voters’ second choice. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those ballots are reassigned to the voters’ next-in-line choice. The process continues until five winners emerge.

Dear god, who left these people in charge!?

[…] Bob Mulholland, political director for the California Democratic Party, said cities and counties ought to be free to choose whatever voting system they like.

But he called the notion of using proportional representation for legislative or congressional seats “cockamamie” and “contradictory to a democratic system.”

“The Democratic Party wants to help the middle class and working poor, and the way we do it is by being in office,” Mulholland said, “and that damned idea would only hurt that, because people with little following would start being elected.
[…]
“I just like a clear choice,” he said. “You go into the booth in November, Democrat and Republican, and whoever is the winner is the real winner.”

At least the registrars aren’t idiots:

Critics say proportional voting is too complicated and not the American way.

[… - to much later in the article - …]

Yolo County Registrar Freddie Oakley, who runs Davis’ elections, said the county’s voting equipment is ready either way.

“It’s basic math, not advanced math,” she said. “However the people want to vote, that’s how I’ll count their vote.”