By:  Shapiro                                           S.B. No. 680
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the cancellation of certain city council elections.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Chapter 143, Election Code is amended by adding
    1-4  Section 143.009 to read as follows:
    1-5        Sec. 143.009.  CANCELLATION OF CITY COUNCIL ELECTION.
    1-6  (a)  The City Council may cancel a city election if:
    1-7              (1)  the sole purpose of the election is to elect
    1-8  members of the city's governing body;
    1-9              (2)  no seat is contested; and
   1-10              (3)  the deadline for filing an application to be a
   1-11  write-in candidate has passed.
   1-12        (b)  If the election is cancelled as provided in subsection
   1-13  (a) the City Council shall declare the unopposed candidate(s) the
   1-14  winner(s) by ordinance.
   1-15        (c)  The ordinance declaring the unopposed candidate(s) the
   1-16  winner(s) shall be posted in all polling places on election day.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.