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R E S O L U T I O N
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BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of |
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Texas, That, in accordance with Sections 9(b) and 11, Article III, |
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Texas Constitution, the House of Representatives of the 80th |
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Legislature shall elect a speaker of the house from its own |
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membership as follows: |
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SECTION 1. NOMINATIONS. (a) The secretary of state shall |
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call for nominations from the floor for the election of speaker of |
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the house of representatives and shall recognize every member who |
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desires to make a nomination. The order in which members desiring |
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to make a nomination shall proceed shall be determined by lot. |
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(b) Each member recognized for this purpose shall |
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immediately advance to the front microphone and make the nomination |
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in a nominating speech not to exceed five minutes in length. |
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(c) After all nominations have been made, the secretary of |
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state shall declare nominations to be closed. |
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SECTION 2. SECONDS. (a) A person is not considered a |
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nominee unless the nomination is seconded by at least one member. |
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(b) One seconding speech shall be allowed for each |
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nomination in the order in which nominations were made, then other |
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seconding speeches shall be allowed in rotation in the same order. |
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(c) No more than five seconding speeches shall be allowed |
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for each nominee. |
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(d) A seconding speech may not exceed three minutes in |
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length. |
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SECTION 3. VOTING PROCEDURES. (a) The chief clerk shall |
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prepare paper ballots containing a space for a member to write in |
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the member's choice for speaker. One ballot shall be prepared for |
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each member and must contain the member's name and district number |
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and a space for the member's signature. The house sergeant shall |
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distribute each ballot to the appropriate member at the member's |
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desk. |
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(b) The chief clerk shall designate a voting area and shall |
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provide a voting box for the marked ballots. A member may mark and |
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sign the member's ballot either at the member's desk or at the |
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voting area. |
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(c) Each member shall be called individually by the reading |
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clerk in order of the member's district number and the member shall |
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proceed to the voting area when called. After arriving at the |
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voting area, the member shall fold the marked and signed ballot and |
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deposit it in the voting box. |
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(d) After all members have voted, the chief clerk shall |
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count the ballots on the house floor. The secretary of state and |
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the state auditor shall observe the count. A ballot may not be |
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counted unless it bears the signature of the member for whom it was |
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prepared. The chief clerk shall prepare a tally sheet indicating |
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how each member voted, the total votes received by each nominee, and |
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the total number of members who are present, not voting. |
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(e) All votes taken shall be record votes with the vote of |
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each member entered in the House Journal. |
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SECTION 4. RESULTS; RUNOFF. (a) The secretary of state |
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shall announce the results of the election. The chief clerk shall |
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release a copy of the tally indicating how each member voted as soon |
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as possible after the secretary of state announces the results. |
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(b) If a nominee receives a majority of the votes cast, the |
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secretary of state shall declare that nominee to be elected to the |
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office of speaker of the house of representatives. For purposes of |
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determining a majority of the votes cast for speaker under this |
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resolution, only a ballot indicating the name of a single nominee is |
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considered a vote cast. |
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(c) If no nominee receives a majority of the votes cast, the |
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two nominees receiving the largest number of votes in the initial |
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vote shall be in a runoff conducted in accordance with the voting |
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procedures for the initial vote. The secretary of state shall |
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announce the results of the runoff and declare the nominee |
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receiving a majority of the votes cast to be elected. |
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SECTION 5. TIE VOTES. (a) If in the initial vote no nominee |
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receives a majority of the votes cast and it is not possible to |
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determine the two nominees receiving the largest number of votes |
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cast because of a tie vote, additional rounds of voting shall occur |
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in the same manner as the initial vote among the same nominees, |
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other than a nominee who withdraws, until a nominee receives a |
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majority of the votes cast or, if no nominee receives a majority of |
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the votes cast, until it is possible to determine the two nominees |
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who receive the largest number of votes cast. |
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(b) If in a runoff between two nominees no nominee receives |
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a majority of the votes cast because of a tie vote, additional |
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rounds of runoff voting shall occur in the same manner as the |
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initial runoff between the same two nominees until one of the |
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nominees in the runoff receives a majority of the votes cast. |
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SECTION 6. OATH. After the election, the secretary of state |
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shall direct the administration of the oath of office to the |
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speaker-elect. The speaker shall take the chair immediately after |
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taking the oath of office. |
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SECTION 7. BALLOT RETENTION. The chief clerk shall retain |
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the paper ballots used in electing the speaker in a secure location. |