H.B. No. 817 introduces a new provision to the Texas Election Code regarding the determination of a majority vote in elections for public office. The bill adds Section 2.0215, which defines a "preferential voting system" as one that allows voters to rank candidates from most to least favored. It stipulates that in elections requiring a majority vote, a candidate must receive more than half of the originally cast votes, and emphasizes that a majority cannot be determined through a preferential voting system that reallocates votes.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 2.022(b) to clarify that the newly added sections (2.0215, 2.023, 2.025, and 2.028) will take precedence over any conflicting laws outside this subchapter. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 2.022 (Election Code 2)
House Committee Report: Election Code 2.022 (Election Code 2)