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House votes to advance bill requiring runoffs when no primary candidate hits 50%
Summary
House Bill 231 would require a runoff 35 days after the primary when no candidate receives a majority in specified statewide and legislative primaries; the committee voted to advance the bill after debating cost, turnout and military overseas ballot handling.
House Bill 231 would require runoff elections, held 35 days after party primaries, when no candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote in specified contests (U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, state senate and state house). The committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation and sent it to the House floor.
Sponsor Rep. Tuscher said multiple states use majority runoffs and that 35 days is the minimum period county clerks identified as feasible for a runoff. He said the change would make nominees more representative by ensuring a majority of primary voters back the eventual nominee.
Committee members and witnesses raised several operational questions. Clerks and county officials said runoffs would increase administrative costs, introduce logistical complexity—especially for overseas and military ballots—and likely reduce turnout in the runoff round. The clerk briefing cited national data showing substantial dropoffs in runoff turnout. The lieutenant governor’s office said it had policy concerns about feasibility but offered to work with the sponsor on solutions.
The bill includes handling for overseas and military voters by allowing them to indicate ranked preferences on the initial ballot so county officials can treat the ranked choice as their selection in a subsequent runoff, consistent with approaches other states use for military/overseas ballots, the sponsor said.
After committee debate about cost, turnout and implementation, Representative Perucci moved to favorably recommend House Bill 231; the motion passed by a recorded voice vote (committee counted 9 in favor, 4 opposed in the committee’s voice tally). The bill will go to the House floor.
