Elections; run-off elections. (SB1397)

Introduced By

Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-Mechanicsville)

Description

Elections; run-off elections. Provides that no candidate shall be deemed to have been elected at a general election to any statewide office or to the United States Senate unless such candidate receives more than 50 percent of the total votes cast for that office. The bill requires that when no candidate for an office receives more than 50 percent of the total votes cast at the general election for that office, a run-off election between the candidates receiving the highest and next-highest number of votes for that office shall be held. However, no run-off election shall be held if the total number of write-in votes cast for an office and the total number of votes cast for the candidate receiving the highest number of votes for an office together equal more than 50 percent of the total votes cast for that office. The bill requires run-off elections to be held on the fourth Tuesday following the date of the certification of the results of the general election or, if a recount is conducted after the general election, on the fourth Tuesday following the date of the certification of the results of the recount, unless the fourth Tuesday falls on a legal holiday, in which the case the run-off election will be held on the sixth Tuesday. The bill provides that all other elections, including a general election of electors for the President and Vice-President of the United States, the person having the highest number of votes for an office shall be deemed to have been elected to such office and shall receive the certificate of election. Under current law, except in the case of a recount, the person having the most votes cast at any election shall be deemed to have been elected to that office. Read the Bill »

Status

01/27/2015: Merged into SB742

History