Utah House lawmakers approved a bill adding runoff elections for primary races without a majority winner. The bill, HB231, passed 50-20, with three days left in the legislative session. The proposed law aims to address candidates winning nominations with a small share of the overall vote, a practice that has become common since the state established a signature path to the ballot in 2014.
The bill would require runoff elections to be held 35 days after the June primary if no candidate receives a majority and the winning candidate does not lead by more than 10 percentage points. This would ensure that candidates have substantial support from voters, benefiting both elected officials and constituents.
The bill was changed from its original version, which would have required runoff elections for all races without a majority winner, to exclude races with a winner leading by more than 10 percentage points. This change was made to reduce the fiscal impact on counties and make the process easier for county clerks to manage.
Despite some opposition from House Democrats and a few Republicans, the bill’s passing reflects a growing concern over the issue of candidates winning with narrow pluralities. Observing the success of similar runoff election requirements in other states, there is hope that HB231 will bring a positive change to Utah’s primary election process.
With the bill now in the hands of the Senate and receiving a sponsor almost immediately after passing the House, there is optimism that it could still be passed before the end of the legislative session. If successful, Utah would join the ranks of nine other states that require runoff elections in their primary processes to ensure candidates have majority support from voters.
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