Bill Text: TX SB637 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the use of preferential voting in certain elections.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-17 - Referred to State Affairs [SB637 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB637-Introduced.html
| 88R1799 LRM-D | ||
| By: Eckhardt | S.B. No. 637 | |
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| relating to the use of preferential voting in certain elections. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 201, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 201.055, 201.056, 201.057, 201.058, and | ||
| 201.059 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 201.055. PREFERENTIAL VOTING REQUIRED. | ||
| Notwithstanding Chapter 2 or any other law, a special election held | ||
| to fill a vacancy in an office requiring election by majority vote | ||
| must use preferential voting as provided by this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 201.056. ADOPTION OF PREFERENTIAL VOTING PROCEDURES. | ||
| (a) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to allow for | ||
| an election of an office requiring a majority vote using a | ||
| preferential voting system. | ||
| (b) The system must allow a voter to rank each candidate for | ||
| an office through a numerical designation from the candidate the | ||
| voter favors most to the candidate the voter favors least. | ||
| Sec. 201.057. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION RESULT. (a) If no | ||
| candidate receives a majority of the votes cast designating the | ||
| highest favorable ranking for an office, the votes of the candidate | ||
| receiving the fewest number of votes are reassigned to the | ||
| candidate ranking next highest in the preference of a voter. | ||
| (b) If after reassigning votes under Subsection (a) no | ||
| candidate receives a majority of the votes cast designating the | ||
| modified highest favorable ranking, the reassignment of a vote to a | ||
| voter's next most preferred candidate under Subsection (a) | ||
| continues until one candidate receives a majority. | ||
| Sec. 201.058. PRIMARY NOT HELD; FILING PERIOD. (a) A | ||
| primary election is not held for an office to which this subchapter | ||
| applies. | ||
| (b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the filing | ||
| deadline for an application for a place on the ballot for an office | ||
| to which this subchapter applies that is filled at the general | ||
| election for state and county officers. | ||
| Sec. 201.059. RUNOFF ELECTION NOT HELD. Notwithstanding | ||
| any other law, a runoff election is not held for an office to which | ||
| this subchapter applies. | ||
| SECTION 2. The following provisions of the Election Code | ||
| are repealed: | ||
| (1) Section 203.009(d); | ||
| (2) Section 203.010; and | ||
| (3) Sections 203.013(f), (g), and (h). | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
