| Kronberg states that the last contested floor vote was Parker/Clayton in the 70's. They used signed ballots placed in a ballot box where no one knew how others were voting until all were cast.
The process that is used for this vote is not set in the Constitution, statute or law. It is a matter that's decided by the members before the vote is cast. Most procedures of the House are merely functions of the House Rules. The 80th Legislature adopts rules by a majority vote. The session starts with a blank slate on the matter, and usually, just to get started, the members adopt the rules of the preceding legislature as temporary rules. After a week or so, permanent rules are usually adopted.
There's lots of discussion being held about secret or public ballots so that voters know how their rep voted and/or members are protected from retribution through a secret ballot. That's a valid discussion and can be argued both ways as a public policy.
However, I've never thought a secret ballot vote would happen. But as Kronberg reports, there is no set way to do the vote if it is a public vote. If you do the Craddick proposed process, then you skew the vote. Folks at the end of the alphabet get the advantage of switching to the winner as soon as that becomes apparent.
House members from both sides, should get a rule amendment drafted and adopt a balloting process that has all ballots cast at the same time or at least in a process that doesn't give the folks at the end of the roll call an advantage. |
