The bill, H.B. No. 465, proposes amendments to the Election Code of Texas to implement preferential voting in runoff elections for voters who vote by mail. It introduces new provisions that require early voting clerks to provide voters with a runoff election ballot and a second carrier envelope for returning the ballot. Additionally, it stipulates that a runoff election ballot will only be counted if it is returned simultaneously and in the same manner as the general election ballot.

Furthermore, the bill establishes a new subchapter that outlines the procedures for preferential voting in runoff elections. Voters eligible for early voting by mail will receive their runoff ballots alongside their general election ballots, and the secretary of state is tasked with creating a preferential voting system that allows voters to rank candidates. The bill mandates that the carrier envelope containing the runoff ballot be opened and counted, with the voter's choice assigned to the candidate they ranked highest. Detailed instructions on this preferential voting system will be provided to county clerks, who are required to disseminate this information to voters. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 101.056, Election Code 101.057 (Election Code 101)