[EL] Texas special election

[Richard Winger]

Rick Pildes says the Texas special election for US House yesterday was a "top-two" election.  I disagree.  Top-two is a system in which the primary can never elect anyone.  Even if someone gets 100% in the first round, that person is not elected and there must be a second round.
The term "top-two" was coined by the Washington state press after Washington state became the first state to use that election.

In Texas yesterday, the event was an "election", because someone could have been elected, by polling 50%.  As it happens, no one did get 50% and there will be a runoff.  What Texas did yesterday is identical to what Louisiana does in all its non-presidential elections.  Louisiana has no primaries (except presidential primaries).  It just has general elections.  If no one gets 50% in Louisiana, there is a run-off.  For congressional elections that means a December runoff.
No one ever says Louisiana has a top-two system.  

Rick also says 21 candidates ran in Texas yesterday.  There were 23.  He seems not to have noticed there was a Libertarian and an independent.  There were eleven Republicans and ten Democrats.

Richard Winger 415-922-9779 PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
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