SSTA - 3/7/95 SJR 15 GOV & LT GOV MUST RECEIVE 50 % VOTE SENATOR SHARP brings up SJR 15 as the next order of business before the Senate State Affairs Committee and calls the first witness. Number 259 JOSH FINK, Aide to Senator Kelly, prime sponsor of SJR 15, reads the sponsor statement for the bill to the committee. Number 295 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS asks Mr. Fink for clarification of how SJR 15 would affect write-in candidates. MR. FINK responds write-in candidates would not be allowed in a run-off election, because the state could end up with no candidate receiving at least 50% of the votes cast in the election, and we could end up back where we started. SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS states he would not want to prevent a write- in candidate who came in first or second in a primary or general election to be excluded from the run-off election. Number 330 DAVID KOIVUNIEMI, Acting Director, Division of Elections, states he is available to answer questions. He informs the committee that if SJR 15 passes, there will need to be enabling legislation passed in order to comply with the deadlines set in the resolution. If SJR 15 had been in effect, the state would have had a run-off election every election after 1970. Number 354 CHAIRMAN SHARP thinks the Louisiana system would be a better system. In Louisiana, any candidate who gets over 50% in the primary wins the election and the race is over. If no candidate gets over 50%, the two highest vote getters face off in the general election. It could be two candidates of the same party, too. Number 361 SENATOR LEMAN comments a person could win a run-off election by fewer votes than they received in the general election, since there is generally a smaller turn out in run-off elections. SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS makes a motion to discharge SJR 15 from the Senate State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations. CHAIRMAN SHARP, hearing no objection, orders SJR 15 released from committee with individual recommendations.