Texas Bill to Abolish Run-off Primaries

Texas Representative Terry Meza (D-Irving) has introduced HB 1406, to eliminate the run-off primaries that are held when no candidate gets at least 50% in the primary. The bill instead would use ranked choice voting in primaries. However, the bill avoids the term “ranked choice voting” and instead calls it “preferential voting.”

If the bill passed, it would ease ballot access. Currently independent candidates cannot start to circulate their petition until after the run-off primary, if the independent is running for an office for which such a run-off was being held. By getting rid of run-offs, the petitioning period for such independent candidates would be lengthier.


Comments

Texas Bill to Abolish Run-off Primaries — 6 Comments

  1. You missed the change to TEC 142.009.

    The deadline for independent candidates is 30 days after the primary runoff. Since there would be no runoff, the deadline is being changed to 30 days after the primary.

  2. @WZ,

    Private political organizations should not be state funded nor given special privileges such as ballot access.

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