whirlpool electric dryer requires 2 cycles to dry?

Well, you contradict yourself. You day it does not dry, but takes two cycles. It is drying, just not in one run.

I sometimes have the same problem with my small electric clothes dryer, but there is nothing wrong with it. In order to have a load dry perfectly after one cycle, I have to have the perfect balance of items -- not too few, not too many, not a weird combo of fabrics. I find this really annoying, because older, and certainly not natural gas, dryers ever gave me this problem. Anyway, all I do is run the load through as many cycles as necessary.

Do not worry about the cycles, but rather the total drying time. If your dryer is anything like mine, it has three stages -- Damp Dry, Dry and Cooling. How long it stays on each of these depends on the moisture level and temperature detected by the sensors. The reading of both of these can be thrown off if the dryer is over or under loaded, or because of a certain mix of fabrics.

Before you think about fixing your machine -- when it may not need fixing at all -- find out how long a certain type of load -- say, several bath towels -- should take to dry (use the internet, or ask a friend or relative), then time that exact load in your dryer.

Check your vent tube is it a corrugated like a slinky or str8 tube if it looks like a slinky it could be plugged some machines actually have a computer built in where you can the service center and they will actually trouble shoot and tell you whether it is a mechanical issue or a clogged vent tube saves a service call good luck a starting point any ways

I trust the situation being the exhaust duct. Dryers have a warmth safety swap to circumvent inflicting a hearth via over heating. while the duct gets clogged, the warmth can't get away and turns off the heating factor. sparkling out the duct.