House joins Senate with its own bill to scrap runoff

The House overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday that would eliminate the gubernatorial runoff provision, which would have forced a special overtime election last June had Democrat Steve Beshear not squeaked over the 40 percent threshold in the Democratic primary.

The runoff provision is a leftover measure from 1991 election reforms that requires a runoff election in the governors race if no candidate receives at least 40 percent of the vote in a party primary.

Earlier this month, the Senate approved a similar measure to drop the provision.

Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, sponsored the bill, which passed 92-3. Three Democrats -- Rep. Jim Wayne of Louisville, Rep. Johnny Bell of Glasgow and Rep. Jim Gooch of Providence -- voted against the repeal of the runoff.

Wayne argued that just 37 percent of Kentucky voters showed up to the polls in last year's primary election.

"We're taking this bill and saying that of the 37 percent, we could have less than 40 percent potentially select the next governor," Wayne said on the House floor. He said county clerks' complaints of having to foot up to a combined $5 million bill to hold the extra election wasn't enough.

"Ladies and gentlemen, democracy does cost money if you're going to do it right," he said.

But Rep. Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, noted that other southern states that have runoff elections end up drawing fewer people to the polls for the extra overtime contest.

"Let's get this over with and lay it to rest," he said.

- Ryan Alessi

Comments

[jacob]

So,under a bill passed in the senate, we will have 2 primaries in years of presidential elections. Yet we do away with run-offs because of the costs associated with it. Am i missing something?

[Nick]

Anyone heard of instant runoffs? Far preferable, in my opinion, to either the expense of an extra election or the possibility of a gubernatorial candidate being nominated against the will of a majority of his or her party. But maybe that's just too advanced for Kentucky.