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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 Section 11, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution, the House of Representatives of the 80th Legislature |
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shall elect a speaker of the house from its own membership as |
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follows: |
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SECTION 1. NOMINATIONS. (a) The presiding officer 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. |
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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 10 minutes in length. |
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(c) After all nominations have been made, the presiding |
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officer shall declare nominations to be closed. |
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SECTION 2. VOTING PROCEDURES. (a) If there is only one |
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nominee for speaker, the members shall record their votes from |
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their desks on the voting machine. |
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(b) If there is more than one nominee for speaker, the chief |
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clerk shall prepare paper ballots containing the name of each |
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nominee and a space for indicating that the member casting the |
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ballot is present, not voting. 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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(c) 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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(d) 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 member's marked and signed |
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ballot and deposit it in the voting box. |
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(e) After all members have voted, the chief clerk, the |
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journal clerk, and the voting clerk shall publicly count the |
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ballots on the house floor. A ballot may not be counted unless it |
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bears the signature of the member for whom it was prepared. The |
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chief clerk shall prepare a tally sheet indicating how each member |
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voted, the total votes received by each nominee, and the total |
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number of members who are present, not voting. |
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(f) 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 3. RESULTS; ADDITIONAL VOTING ROUNDS. (a) The |
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presiding officer shall announce the results of the election. The |
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chief clerk shall release a copy of the tally indicating how each |
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member voted as soon as possible after the presiding officer |
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announces the results. |
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(b) If a nominee receives a majority of the votes cast, the |
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presiding officer 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 marked for a single nominee is considered |
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a vote cast. |
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(c) If no nominee receives a majority of the votes cast, an |
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additional round of voting shall be conducted in accordance with |
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the procedures for the initial vote except that the ballots shall be |
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prepared to contain: |
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(1) the name of each nominee who received votes in the |
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preceding round of voting, other than the nominee who received the |
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fewest number of votes and each nominee who has withdrawn; and |
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(2) a space for indicating that the member casting the |
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vote is present, not voting. |
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(d) Following an additional round of voting under |
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Subsection (c) of this section, the presiding officer shall |
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announce the results and: |
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(1) if a nominee receives a majority of the votes cast, |
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the presiding officer shall declare that nominee to be elected to |
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the office of speaker of the house of representatives; or |
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(2) if no nominee receives a majority of the votes |
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cast, additional rounds of voting shall occur in the manner |
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provided by Subsection (c) of this section until a nominee receives |
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a majority of the votes cast. |
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SECTION 4. TIE VOTES. If in a round of voting under this |
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resolution no nominee receives a majority of the votes cast and it |
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is not possible to determine which nominee received the fewest |
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number of votes because of a tie vote, all nominees who received |
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votes in that round of voting, other than a nominee who withdraws, |
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shall be listed on the ballot in the subsequent round of voting. |
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SECTION 5. OATH. After the election, the presiding officer |
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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. |