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.