The House Committee on Elections met on April 15 to take up a number of bills. This report covers only HB 3667 (Toth), HB 365 (Cain), and HB 2450 (Oliverson), relating to uniform election dates.

 

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing, but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

HB 3667 (Toth) (Committee Sub) – Relating to holding elections on uniform election dates.

  • May elections consistently have less than 10% turnout, while November elections have 35% or greater usually.
  • Most people simply do not know about elections that are happening in May.
  • Uniform election dates would allow the prioritization of individual taxpayers and citizens rather than local entities.

 

Chris Davis, Texas Association of Election Administrators

  • Against the bill.
  • Giving entities the option to have elections in May deals with congestion.
  • In the absence of straight-ticket voting, uniform elections would create long lines.

 

Alan Vera, Harris County Republican Party Ballot Security Committee

  • For the bill.
  • Many of our political subdivisions are financially in “deep doo-doo”.
  • The financial problems of many of these subdivisions trace to the election dates on which some of these subdivisions hold their elections.
  • Only about 3% of the registered voters in these territories are selecting the leadership and saddling the other 97% with mounting debt.
  • Having more voters involved in the selection of leadership and debt decisions will not solve the problem entirely but is a step in the right direction.

 

Lauren Sullivan, Young County Elections Office

  • Against the bill.
  • In small, rural counties the voters who turn out in May are the interested voters who know what the bonds are about.
  • In November, an election administrator cannot cross county lines, but they can in May.
  • Home-rule cities could end up having to have an election to change the charter in order to change to uniform election dates, which would be another cost for those places.
  • Klick – If they are having to change their charter to allow uniform elections, might they also have to change the terms of office?
    • Sullivan – Yes. It depends on how they determine to change that charter as to how many elections they could end up having. There could be one big election changing the whole thing, or it could be done piecemeal.

 

Glen Maxey, Texas Democratic Party

  • For the bill.
  • Low voter turnout in May is a good reason for changing to a uniform November election.

 

Ruben Longoria, Texas Association of School Boards

  • Against the bill.
  • Organization have always advocated for local control of these smaller issues.
  • In larger counties like Bexar where there might be several bond issues that all pass in the same election, it could create a problem where there is more demand than supply, which would hurt smaller taxing units.
  • Fierro – Is there any data on what the cost increase is in May rather than November?
    • Longoria – Don’t have data on the cost of moving the election. Can try to find out.
  • Cain – How are the dues paid for TASB? Is it tax dollars?
    • Longoria – Yes, I believe so.

 

James Quintero, Texas Public Policy Foundation

  • For the bill.
  • Bill will encourage greater participation on important civic decisions.
  • Under current system a small number of voters have an outsized influence on bond issues.
  • Turnout is consistently around 5% for large bond elections, so only 3% of the registered voters need to be in favor of a bond for billions of dollars to be spent.

 

Ed Johnson, self

  • For the bill.
  • Even-year May election date for bond voters can be between March primaries and May runoff, which causes a lot of confusion for voters.
  • Election administrators have been against even-year May elections in the past, do not know why they are now against it.
  • This will not lengthen the ballot that much, it is not a great inconvenience.
  • Support both this and Cain’s bill.

 

Bill Sergeant, self

  • On the bill.
  • Santa Fe ISD moved many years ago from May to November elections, this caused a major increase in expenses. At the same time, there was a huge increase in the number of people who voted.
  • There is a trade-off between money and voter participation.
  • Fierro – How many people were on the ballot you just referenced?
    • Sergeant – It was a number of years ago but can get that info.
    • Fierro – How can you interact with the voter if you are running for a school board, and how many people know about the races at the bottom of the ballot?
    • Sergeant – There is evidence that November elections greatly increase turnout. I would be fine with odd-year May elections, so they do not conflict with the primary.
    • Fierro – My question is how do you interact with the voters in such a thick field?
    • Sergeant – The same thing you would do in any local election.

 

Rep. Toth closing comments

  • Have heard from people against this bill that only “interested” and the “best-educated” to vote on these issues come out in May. We should find that offensive that some people who don’t come out to vote are not as smart of interested.
  • The idea that it would increase cost is ridiculous.
  • All the money being spent is coming out of the voter’s pocket, we need to focus on voters and not the local subdivisions and what their wants are.

 

HB 3667 left pending.

 

HB 365 (Cain) – Relating to holding elections on uniform election dates.

  • Cain – HB 365 would allow more Texas voters to exercise their right to vote by moving all elections to a uniform election date. The bill would likely result in a cost savings measure for our counties by cutting down the number of elections held.

 

Christopher Davis, Texas Association of Election Administrators

  • Against the bill.
  • This bill moves elections to even number years.
  • The bill also contributes to longer lines at the polls.
  • Klick – Do you do any joint elections in your county?
  • Klick – Who pays for the cost of those elections?
    • In May, when it is just poli-subs, they are paying for those elections. We divide it up by the total number of registered voters in their districts and use that as a cost-share ratio. We do the same thing in November, but we include counties.
  • Klick – In a partisan general election, the counties are responsible for the costs of early voting. What about those joint elections in May?
    • The early voting costs are combined with the election day costs and split appropriately. The county does not absorb those early voting costs in May elections.

 

Alan Vera, Harris County Republican Party Ballot Security Committee

  • For the bill.
  • It is time to end the practice of having 3% of citizens select the board that governs the district and lay debt obligations on the other 97%.

 

Glen Maxey, Texas Democratic Party

  • On the bill.
  • Suggests allowing the very large counties to have elections in the odd years because of the length of ballots in the even numbered bills.

 

Ed Johnson, self

  • For the bill.
  • The ballot is not increasing by any great lengths, neither are the waiting times.
  • On a per voter basis, it is a lot less expensive to hold elections in November.

 

James Quintero, Texas Public Policy Foundation

  • For the bill.
  • Moving elections to November will increase voter turnout.

 

Keith Ingram, Secretary of State Office

  • On the bill.
  • Klick – On the school board or city council races, would it not require some type of charter revision to change the length of the term of their offices.
    • It would just be a temporary extension as they adjust their schedules.
  • Klick – Are there not some cities that are already on a November election?
    • Yes, quite a few moved back in 2011.
  • Klick – So for those that are on a November schedule, would they be even or odd?

 

HB 365 left pending.

 

HB 2450 (Oliverson) – Relating to the requirement that certain political subdivisions hold elections on uniform election dates.

  • Oliverson – HB 2450 amends the Texas Election code to require special purpose districts to have elections for bonds on uniform election dates. This bill removes the current exemption that they have where they can have the elections whenever they want.

 

Glen Maxey, Texas Democratic Party

  • For the bill.

 

Ed Johnson, Self

  • For the bill.
  • They need to be moved to have consolidated dates for their elections just like everyone else.

 

HB 2450 left pending.