SC0556_S_Amend

***Lost***

AMENDMENT No. 1 PROPOSED TO

Senate Concurrent NO. 556

By Senator(s) Tollison

AMEND by striking lines 18 through 26 and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

Section 140. The Governor of the state shall be elected by the people in a general election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of A.D. 2003, and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in every fourth year thereafter. * * * The person receiving a majority of the number of votes cast in the election for the office shall be declared elected * * *.

If no person receives a majority of the votes, then the person who receives the highest number of votes and at least forty-five percent (45%) of the total votes cast in the election for the office shall be declared elected.

If no person receives the required number of votes to be elected, then a run-off election shall be held between the two (2) persons who received the highest number of votes. The election shall be held in the time and manner as the Legislature shall prescribe by general law. If both candidates receive an equal number of votes, the Legislature, by joint vote, shall elect one (1) of the candidates Governor.

FURTHER, amend by striking lines 52 through 59 and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the explanation of this proposed amendment for the ballot shall read as follows: "This proposed constitutional amendment provides that the person who receives a majority of the popular vote for Governor at the general election shall be declared elected. If no person receives a majority, then the person receiving the highest number of votes and at least 45% of the total vote shall be elected. If no person receives the votes required to be elected, then a run-off election will be held between the two persons receiving the highest number of votes. The amendment abolishes the requirement that the Governor be elected by vote of the House of Representatives if no candidate receives both a majority of the popular vote and a majority of the electoral votes."

FURTHER, amend the title on line 4 by striking "HIGHEST NUMBER" and inserting "MAJORITY"

FURTHER, amend the title on line 5 after the semicolon by inserting the following:

IF NO PERSON RECEIVES A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PERSON RECEIVING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES AND AT LEAST 45% OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST SHALL BE DECLARED ELECTED; TO PROVIDE FOR A RUN-OFF ELECTION THREE WEEKS LATER BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATES RECEIVING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES IF NO CANDIDATE RECEIVES THE REQUIRED VOTES FOR THE OFFICE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION;