[Dave W]

The election has to be held regardless. A concession holds no legal ramifications at all. It is a courtesy to the winner and that is all. Some losers concede and some don't, but it does not affect the outcome of the race. Some have conceded and then ended up winning when all votes were counted - they still won the election.

Can you imagine the chaos if elections were not required if the other candidate "conceded" before the election. It will lend the other side the ability to apply pressure tactics until they "conceded".

[scrabblehack]

I lived there. It DID happen exactly the way you described. Yes, it was ugly. The white candidate who finished first conceded because the campaign was getting so ugly. The runoff was cancelled.

I recall Vermont has (maybe had) a requirement that the governor get a majority vote, with the legislature deciding among the top two finishers if no one had a majority.

A few years ago the top candidate finished with slightly less than majority but the #2 finisher waived his right to a runoff in the legislature.