Monitoring the Session

HB 1476

every ballot race gets a none of the above choice

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Valoree SwansonRHouse 150

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to a ballot option to not vote for any candidate.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Vote for nobody. Those votes don’t count toward a majority.

The bill adds a "None of the above" choice to every race on Texas ballots. It touches every voter, county election officials who print ballots, and the secretary of state, who must set the form and placement of the option. Voters can mark "None of the above" instead of a candidate, but those marks do not count when deciding who won a majority.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 153 (Did not pass) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 153 (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 26, 2024 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1476 · 2024-11-26

SOLD BY

Rep. Valoree SwansonRHouse 150

ITEM

relating to a ballot option to not vote for any candidate.

WHAT IT DOES

Vote for nobody. Those votes don’t count toward a majority.

The bill adds a "None of the above" choice to every race on Texas ballots. It touches every voter, county election officials who print ballots, and the secretary of state, who must set the form and placement of the option. Voters can mark "None of the above" instead of a candidate, but those marks do not count when deciding who won a majority.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Elections
FILED UNDER

ELECTION INTEGRITY THEATER

THE TEXT

“A vote under this section does not count for the purpose of determining which candidate received a majority of votes.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill adds a protest option to the ballot but says it has no effect on deciding who wins a majority.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Valoree Swanson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$314KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$116KKathaleen Wall$11,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$314,216.50

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$314,216.50

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$279,216.50
Total
$314,216.50
advertising $251,088.00polling $15,200.00mail $12,928.50

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101029008, 101031437, 101068777, 101071636.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$116,200.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$116,200.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$91,200.00
Total
$116,200.00
canvassing $76,000.00polling $15,200.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 18, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101068777, 101071636.

Kathaleen Wall$11,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$314,216.50

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$279,216.50
Total
$314,216.50
advertising $251,088.00polling $15,200.00mail $12,928.50

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101029008, 101031437, 101068777, 101071636.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$116,200.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$91,200.00
Total
$116,200.00
canvassing $76,000.00polling $15,200.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 18, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101068777, 101071636.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 153

by Rep. Swanson, same lead author · Did not pass · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, May 8, 2023: Returned to committee

Relating to a ballot option to not vote for any candidate.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 26, 2024

03/11/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 11 2025 3:26PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Registration & Suffrage

SECRETARY OF STATE

Text

The text as introduced · 242 words

89R4250 LRM-D

By: Swanson
H.B. No. 1476

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a ballot option to not vote for any candidate.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 52, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 52.0685 to read as follows:

Sec. 52.0685. OPTION TO AFFIRMATIVELY CHOOSE NOT TO VOTE.

(a) Voters shall be given the opportunity to select "None of the

above" instead of voting for a candidate appearing on the ballot or

the list of write-in candidates for each race.

(b) A vote under this section does not count for the purpose

of determining which candidate received a majority of votes.

(c) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form and

manner of placing the option "None of the above" on the ballot.

SECTION 2. Sections 52.070(a) and (b), Election Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) A shape for voting shall be printed to the left of :

(1) each candidate's name on a ballot ; and

(2) the option "None of the above" for each office to

be voted on in the election .

(b) Immediately below "OFFICIAL BALLOT," the following

instruction shall be printed: "Vote for the candidate of your

choice in each race by placing an 'X' or filling in the shape beside

the candidate's name or beside "None of the above" ."

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.