HB 1588 Summary

• Allows voters in primary elections to vote for any candidate regardless of party affiliation or nonpartisan status, rather than restricting votes to one party's candidates.

• Eliminates the requirement that lieutenant governor candidates be listed immediately below governor candidates of the same party on ballots and removes the automatic vote transfer between these offices.

• Implements a top-two primary system where candidates receiving a majority of primary votes are elected directly, but if no candidate achieves a majority, the two candidates with the highest vote totals advance to the general election.

• Removes provisions allowing governor and lieutenant governor candidates to jointly support co-candidates in general elections and eliminates special campaign finance rules for such joint support.

• Takes effect only upon ratification of a constitutional amendment that establishes independent elections for governor and lieutenant governor and implements the new primary system.