SRC-TNM S.B. 511 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 511
By: Madla
State Affairs
2-21-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, primary election ballots include the party office listing of
precinct chairman.  A substantial amount of time and effort is being
utilized to add the names of precinct chairmen names onto ballots,
especially in counties with a large amount of precincts.  Precinct
chairman votes are required to be hand counted and, as a result, increase
the time before the results for county, state, and federal elections are
tabulated.  S.B. 511 requires separate ballots for the election of the
office of the precinct chairman in order to increase the efficiency of the
release of county, state, and federal results. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 511 outlines provisions regarding the use of separate
ballots for the election of the office of precinct chairman. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 172.089, Election Code, as follows:

Sec. 172.089. New heading: ORDER OF PARTY OFFICE ON BALLOT.  Deletes text
requiring the party offices of the precinct chairman to be listed on the
primary election ballot after the public offices with the office of the
county chairman listed first.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 172.090(a), Election Code, to delete text
requiring the county executive committee to provide, by order, for voting
in a consolidated precinct by separate paper ballot for the office of
precinct chairman in an election in which election precincts are
consolidated. Requires the county executive committee to provide, by
order, for voting by separate paper ballot for the office of precinct
chairman. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.