| TO: | Honorable Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair, Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB702 by Huffines ( Relating to a minimum voter turnout requirement for an election authorizing the issuance of bonds issued by a political subdivision.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend the Election Code requiring a political subdivision to have at least 15 percent of the registered voters of the political subdivision vote in the election in which a bond proposition is on the ballot. Otherwise, the election held for the issuance of bonds has no effect.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
According to Young County, voter participation rates for May elections range from 2 percent to 33.5 percent with an average of 13 percent.
According to Fort Bend County, voter participation rates for odd-year November elections or May elections have not exceeded 33 percent.
If political subdivisions are not able to reach the voter participation threshold required by the bill repeat elections would be necessary and cost estimates are as follow:
Williamson County estimates the impact could be tens of thousands of dollars for repeat elections.
Bexar County estimates costs could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars or more for repeat elections.
| Source Agencies: | 307 Secretary of State, 352 Bond Review Board, 701 Texas Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | UP, JGA, GG, BM
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