H.B. 1174 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 1174
By: Brown, Betty
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, at each branch polling place, the early voting clerk
must provide representation for each political party conducting a primary
election in the county.  Because the law does not require equal
representation, problems can arise at polling places where one party's
representation significantly outnumbers the others'.  House Bill 1174
requires the early voting clerk to provide equal representation for
political parties at each branch polling place.   


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 


ANALYSIS

House Bill 1174 amends the Election Code to provide an exception to the
provision that the composition of the set of election officers serving a
branch polling place during early voting must provide representation for
each political party conducting a primary election in the county. 

The bill provides, for the general election for state and county officers
and for a special election to fill a vacancy in an office regularly filled
at the general election for state and county officers, that the
composition of the set of election officers serving a branch polling place
who are not employees of the county must, to the extent practicable,
provide equal representation for each political party conducting a primary
election in the county. 


EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.