Military and Overseas Voters in Texas
Deserve a Better Way to Participate in
Runoff Elections

Eight states hold primary runoff elections if no candidate wins a majority of votes (50% or more):  Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. 

In an effort to give overseas and military voters plenty of time to request and return runoff ballots, several states have opted to increase the number of days between the primary election and the runoff. Unfortunately, extending the gap between elections correlates with a drastic decline in voter turnout.

Since 1994, runoffs held within 30 days of the initial primary had a median turnout decline of 33%, while those with a gap greater than 30 days had median decline of 48%. The marginal turnout decline for each following day between the primary and runoff (0.2%) shows that a delay, even by a week, can potentially damage voter turnout.

Because of the challenges of mailing and returning runoff ballots overseas so shortly after the primary election, six southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina) use IRV to help military and overseas voters participate in runoffs. 

These voters get to rank their choices on the primary ballot.  If a runoff election occurs, their vote counts for whichever finalist candidate they ranked highest. They don't have to go through the whole voting process again and hope that the ballot is received in time to count.

Shouldn't military and overseas voters in Texas be given the same convenience? We at IRV for Texas think so and are devoting our time to try to convince Texas legislators to change the election code to allow for the use of IRV for military and overseas voters.

*Excerpted from Fair Vote Article

If You Want to Have a REAL Impact on Choosing Who Represents Us,
Vote in the Primary Elections!

Voting in primary elections is crucial for several reasons, allowing citizens to actively participate in shaping the political landscape and exercising their right to choose preferred candidates.

Here’s why primary elections matter:

• You choose the nominees: Primaries are the first step in the election process, where each political party selects its candidate to represent them in the general election. Voting in primaries allows you to have a say in who makes it onto the general election ballot in the first place, rather than simply choosing between candidates selected by those who did vote in the primaries.
  
  
• Influence the political platform: The issues and positions that resonate with voters during the primaries can influence a party’s platform and policy direction, even influencing how the party allocates resources and strategizes for the general election.
  
  
• Strengthen your vote: Because primary elections often see lower voter turnout compared to general elections, your individual vote carries more weight in determining the outcome.
  
  
• Get to know the candidates: Primaries offer an opportunity to research and evaluate candidates before the general election, allowing you to understand their stances on issues important to you.

Excerpted from: Rock the Vote article

Last year, a mere18.35% of registered voters cast their ballots in the Texas primary elections. When also considering the Texans eligible but not registered to vote, five out of every six eligible Texans did not exercise their right to vote in the primary, leaving a mere 16.4% of the voting-eligible population to dictate the trajectory of Texas politics and shape the future of the state. 

Excerpted from: Texas DPSOA article

Join Us: Upcoming Events

IRV for Texas is planning for the future! Our goals are to educate voters about IRV and how it can make the outcomes of our elections reflect the will of the voters.

• We will soon publish an Annual Report, which will be posted on our website. Look for an email message when it is posted.
  
  
• Over the course of the fall, we will work with our directors and national partners to design a winning strategy for the next legislative session.
  
  
• We will continue our work at the municipal level to educate local leaders about the benefits of IRV and recommend adoption of a trigger ordinance.

As always, we will keep you apprised of our progress through our website, social media and our monthly newsletter.

Get Involved: It Takes Each of Us

Any effort is as good as the people behind it, and we need more dedicated people to help us meet our goals of making elections better for everyone!

Whatever your skill, whether it is writing, speaking, networking, tech or organizational, we need you for a few hours each week or month.

Please click on the button below to begin the rewarding work of helping our elections reflect the will of the voters!

Whether it’s contributing your time, donating to the cause, or spreading the word, every effort counts. Let’s create elections that work for everyone.

Would you to pitch in $25 to help Instant Runoff Voting for Texas bring this transformative reform to elections across the state through our statewide and local organizing?