Relating to preferential voting in runoff elections for certain voters voting by mail.

HB 465, titled "Relating to preferential voting in runoff elections for certain voters voting by mail," requires Texas counties to provide mail-in voters with runoff election ballots and a second envelope for returning them. It establishes a preferential voting system allowing mail voters to rank runoff candidates from most to least preferred, rather than selecting just one candidate. County clerks must post instructions for this system online and mail them with ballots, and runoff ballots will only be counted if returned with the general election ballot. The bill would take effect January 1, 2026, and applies specifically to voters who request early voting by mail.