Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Kentucky State Senate Approves Bill To Eliminate Runoff Election
The possibility of a costly primary runoff in a governor's race would be eliminated under a bill passed unanimously by the Senate today.
Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, would allow the top vote-getter in each gubernatorial primary to advance to the general election, regardless of the vote count. Current law mandates a runoff between the top two candidates if no slate wins more than 40 percent of the vote.
The runoff has never been used since becoming part of the law in 1992, but Gov. Steve Beshear narrowly averted the need for one by winning 41 percent of the vote in last year's Democratic primary.
"This statute as it is currently written is a tremendous burden on the taxpayers and counties of the Commonwealth of Kentucky," Thayer said. With a cost of $1500 per precinct, a runoff would cost $5.4 million statewide, he said.
The bill now moves to the House for its consideration.
courtesty Kentucky General Assembly
Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, would allow the top vote-getter in each gubernatorial primary to advance to the general election, regardless of the vote count. Current law mandates a runoff between the top two candidates if no slate wins more than 40 percent of the vote.
The runoff has never been used since becoming part of the law in 1992, but Gov. Steve Beshear narrowly averted the need for one by winning 41 percent of the vote in last year's Democratic primary.
"This statute as it is currently written is a tremendous burden on the taxpayers and counties of the Commonwealth of Kentucky," Thayer said. With a cost of $1500 per precinct, a runoff would cost $5.4 million statewide, he said.
The bill now moves to the House for its consideration.
courtesty Kentucky General Assembly
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 8:39 PM 
