By Madden                                             H.B. No. 2024
       74R5124 DRH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to procedures for electing a precinct or county chairman
    1-3  of a political party.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 171.022, Election Code, is amended by
    1-6  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
    1-7  follows:
    1-8        (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), if <If> no
    1-9  candidate receives a majority of the votes, a runoff to determine
   1-10  the office is conducted in the same manner as a runoff primary
   1-11  election to determine a nomination for public office.  The
   1-12  candidates to be in a runoff are determined in the same manner as
   1-13  candidates in a runoff for a nomination.
   1-14        (d)  The state executive committee by rule may provide for
   1-15  the election of the county chairman or precinct chairmen of a
   1-16  particular county by plurality vote.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 171, Election Code, is
   1-18  amended by adding Section 171.0221 to read as follows:
   1-19        Sec. 171.0221.  ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE BY WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.
   1-20  To be entitled to assume the office of county or precinct chairman,
   1-21  a write-in candidate who receives the vote required for election
   1-22  must file a written declaration of acceptance of the office with
   1-23  the county executive committee not later than the third day after
   1-24  the date of the local canvass.
    2-1        SECTION 3.  Sections 172.090(a) and (c), Election Code, are
    2-2  amended to read as follows:
    2-3        (a)  A <In a primary election in which election precincts are
    2-4  consolidated, the county executive committee may provide by
    2-5  resolution, order, or other official action for voting in a
    2-6  consolidated precinct by> separate paper ballot shall be used for
    2-7  voting for the office of precinct chairman.
    2-8        (c)  The secretary of state shall prescribe:
    2-9              (1)  the form of the ballot for precinct chairman
   2-10  consistent with this section; and
   2-11              (2)  procedures requiring the political party to
   2-12  implement the use of a separate ballot under this section.
   2-13        SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-14        SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-15  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-16  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-17  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-18  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.