Module 10 - Texas Elections

Noncandidate Elections

A bond election is an election for the purpose of obtaining voter approval for a local government going into debt. Bonds, once approved by the voters, can be used to make improvements or build new structures. Recently, voters in Tyler approved a bond to be used to build a new nursing school at UT Tyler.

General Elections

A general election is a statewide election to fill national and state offices. Examples of offices filled are the president, federal senators and representatives, governors, state senators and representatives, judges, members of the plural executive, etc. They are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. Years when presidents are elected (2012, 2016, 2020, ...) are called "presidential" elections; elections held between presidential elections (2014, 2018, 2022, ...), are called "mid-term" elections. The latter are so called because they are held mid-way (two years) through a president's four-year term in office. In Texas, governors are elected in mid-term elections.

Primary Elections

A primary election is an intra-party election in which a party's candidates for the general election are chosen. There are two basic kinds of primary election methods - closed and open. A closed primary is an election system that limits primary election participation to registered party members. In states with closed primaries, voters have to register as Democrats, Republicans, or as members of some third party. This identification is "stamped" on their voter registration card. When they show up to vote in the primary, the person working the poll looks at their registration and gives them the ballot that corresponds to their party identification.

recall election

A recall election is a procedure for allowing voters to remove elected officials from office before the expiration of their terms. We don't have state-wide recall elections in Texas but some cities do. So, we couldn't remove a sitting governor with a recall election, as happened in California in 2004, but Texas cities with recall elections could remove their mayor before his/her term of office had expired.

Special Elections

A special election is an election called at a time outside the normal election calendar. Special elections may be used to approve local bond issues (more on bond elections in a minute) or to fill unexpected vacancies in the state legislature or the state's congressional delegation. Vacancies can occur when an elected official resigns, dies, or is removed from office for some wrong doing. Candidates elected in special elections must run for reelection in the next scheduled election. They are nonpartisan and a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to win a special election.

The Texas Primary System

In Texas, primary elections take place on the first Tuesday in March of even-number years. Our primary is a cross between an open primary and closed primary. Unlike a closed primary state, our voter registration cards are not "stamped" with a party identification. If you're registered to vote, take a look at your registration card and you'll see there is no mention of party identification. Unlike an open primary, we cannot vote across party lines in our primaries. Instead, on primary election day voters must publicly choose the party in whose primary they wish to participate. The poll worker will ask you which party primary you wish to vote in and give you the party ballot you request.

The Voters Decide

Political scientists identify a number of factors influencing voter choice. Incumbents (current officeholders) enjoy a distinct advantage over challengers. Political party identification is closely related to voter choice. Issues continue to remain important for influencing voter choice. Voter perceptions of the personal images of candidates influence candidate choice.

The Long Ballot

Texas has the long ballot, which is an election system that provides for the election of nearly every public official. As we discussed earlier in the semester, Texans are very distrustful of government. As such, we want to elect everyone! We do this as a means of keeping government officials accountable. The theory being - if they don't do what we want them to, we can throw them out of office.

Election Districts

Texas voters select public officials in a combination of at-large and district elections. An at-large election is a method for choosing public officials in which every citizen of a political subdivision, such as a state or county, votes to select public officials. A district election is a method for choosing public officials in which a political subdivision, such as a state or county, is divided into districts and each district elects one official.

The Presidential Delegate Selection Process

The procedure for selecting delegates to attend the national conventions to choose the party's presidential candidate of the two major parties varies from state to state. Presidential preference primary election is an election in which party voters cast ballots for the presidential candidate they favor and in so doing help determine the number of convention delegates that candidate will receive. They are held in about two-thirds of the states. The caucus method of delegate selection is a procedure for choosing national party convention delegates that involves party voters participating in a series of precinct, district, county and/or state convention political meetings. Some states have adopted this method.

Selection of National Convention Delegates in Texas

The state Republican Party selects national convention delegates through a presidential preference primary election. The state Democratic Party selects national convention delegates through a system that combines the presidential preference primary and caucus methods.

Runoff Primary Election

Unlike the general election, candidates running in primaries must receive a majority vote. If no one candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff primary election is held between the two top finishers. In Texas, the runoff election is held on the first Tuesday in April after the initial primary. On average, voter turnout in a runoff primary election is only about two-thirds as high as turnout in the initial primary.

Local Elections

Under state law, local elections for city, school district, and special district officials must be held on either the second Saturday in May or the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Elections to select officials to local government are usually held on odd-numbered years so they will not coincide with general elections for the president, senator, and governor. Most local election contests are generally nonpartisan elections, which are election contests in which the names of the candidates appear on the ballot but not their party affiliations.

initiative process

An initiative process is a procedure whereby citizens can propose legislation by gathering a certain number of signatures on a petition. If they get the required number of signatures, the initiative will be placed on the ballot for citizens to vote up or down. Local-option (wet-dry) elections are elections held to determine whether an area will legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages. In 2006, citizens in Angelina County (Lufkin) got enough signatures to let Angelina County voters determine whether the county would remain dry - no off-premise alcohol sales. The measure passed and Angelina County became semi-wet. It's considered semi-wet because you still cannot purchase liquor in Angelina County. You can go to Wal-Mart and purchase beer and wine though. Prior to the 2006 vote, you couldn't even do that!

Costs of Campaigns

Candidates running for the Texas House of Representatives typically spend $600,000 or more. The cost of a Texas Senate seat in rural areas is $1 million, compared with $2 or $3 million dollars in urban areas. The largest single item in the campaign budget is media, especially television. Candidates who are wealthy can bankroll their own campaigns. A striking difference between federal and Texas elections is that Texas law places no limits on campaign contributions or campaign expenditures for candidates for executive or legislative office. There are restrictions on judicial elections but, otherwise, elected offices in Texas can be bought!!

Types of Elections

Various types of elections can be identified. Each of the following type of election will be discussed in more detail in the following notes. In short, the types of elections in Texas are: General elections - Elections between candidates representing different parties. Primary elections - Elections between candidates within the same party. Local elections - Elections for mayor, city council, county sheriff, etc. Special elections - Elections held to fill vacancies in government positions between regularly scheduled elections. Noncandidate elections - Elections for bonds, initiatives, referendums, etc.