88R HB 259
by Rep. Goodwin, same lead author · Died in committee · same text
Introduced textLast action, Feb 23, 2023: Referred to Elections
Relating to the use of preferential voting in certain elections.
Caption, 88R bill history
HB 540
bill letting cities and school boards use ranked-choice voting
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
No flagsInitial review
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 the use of preferential voting in certain elections.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Last place drops, votes move to next choice, until someone has a majority.
The bill lets a city council or school board vote to use ranked-choice (preferential) voting for its own nonpartisan officer elections. Voters rank candidates from most to least favored, and if nobody wins a majority of first choices, the last-place candidate's votes move to each voter's next choice until someone has a majority. The Secretary of State must write the procedures, and offices using this system skip primaries and runoffs, starting September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 259 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 259 (Died in committee). 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 12, 2024 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB540 · 2024-11-12
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the use of preferential voting in certain elections.
WHAT IT DOES
Last place drops, votes move to next choice, until someone has a majority.
The bill lets a city council or school board vote to use ranked-choice (preferential) voting for its own nonpartisan officer elections. Voters rank candidates from most to least favored, and if nobody wins a majority of first choices, the last-place candidate's votes move to each voter's next choice until someone has a majority. The Secretary of State must write the procedures, and offices using this system skip primaries and runoffs, starting September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Elections
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
No flags
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
R Stephen McNally$144,000Donald H Henley$109,000Donald Henley$108,500
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 28, 2024 to Oct 24, 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.
R Stephen McNally$144,000.00
Donald H Henley$109,000.00
Donald Henley$108,500.00
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
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.
Sources
Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024
03/03/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 3 2025 2:24PM
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee
Companion
SB 342 by Eckhardt (identical)
Subjects
Elections--General
Elections--Voting Systems
SECRETARY OF STATE
Text
The text as introduced · 352 words
89R1336 LRM-D By: Goodwin H.B. No. 540 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the use of preferential voting in certain elections. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 2, Election Code, is amended by adding Subchapter E to read as follows: SUBCHAPTER E. PREFERENTIAL VOTING Sec. 2.101. USE OPTIONAL. The governing body of a municipality or independent school district may authorize the use of preferential voting as provided by this subchapter for a nonpartisan election of an officer of the municipality or school district, as appropriate, by majority vote. Sec. 2.102. ADOPTION OF PREFERENTIAL VOTING PROCEDURES. (a) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to allow for an election of an office requiring a majority vote using a preferential voting system. (b) The system must allow a voter to rank each candidate for an office through a numerical designation from the candidate the voter favors most to the candidate the voter favors least. Sec. 2.103. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION RESULT. (a) If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast designating the highest favorable ranking for an office, the votes of the candidate receiving the fewest number of votes are reassigned to the candidate ranking next highest in the preference of a voter. (b) If after reassigning votes under Subsection (a) no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast designating the modified highest favorable ranking, the reassignment of a vote to a voter's next most preferred candidate under Subsection (a) continues until one candidate receives a majority. Sec. 2.104. PRIMARY NOT HELD; FILING PERIOD. (a) A primary election is not held for an office to which this subchapter applies. (b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the filing deadline for an application for a place on the ballot for an office to which this subchapter applies that is filled at the general election for state and county officers. Sec. 2.105. RUNOFF ELECTION NOT HELD. Notwithstanding any other law, a runoff election is not held for an office to which this subchapter applies. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.