AUSTIN, Texas — Nearly three months after Election Day, the Texas Senate allowed the luck of the draw Wednesday to determine who among them will serve two-year terms and who will serve for four years before their next election.

The unusual practice of drawing for terms traditionally takes place the first session after the Legislature redraws the state’s Senate districts. Last year, all 31 Senate districts were on the ballot. Unless new maps are drawn between now and then, Wednesday’s drawing determined which half of the Senate will be back on the ballot in 2014. The results could help influence some senators’ future political plans, such as if they run for statewide office or re-election.

One by one, senators walked up to the front of the chamber and picked an envelope, each with a piece of paper inside a capsule. The papers were numbered 1-31. Senators who picked an even number will serve a two-year term. Senators who picked an odd number got a four-year term.

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