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 for each eligible office 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 will receive their runoff ballots alongside their general election ballots and will be able to rank candidates from most to least favored. The bill mandates that the secretary of state create detailed instructions for this voting system, which must be made available to county clerks and 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)