H.J.R. 59 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.J.R. 59 By: Uresti Elections Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the names of uncontested candidates are required to appear on general and special election ballots. This can result in unnecessarily lengthy ballots. For example, the November 2002 general election ballot for Bexar County contained 29 uncontested races, which represented 58% of the races on the ballot. Including these uncontested races adds to the length and cost for the ballot, requires additional time for counting the ballots, and complicates the preparation process for conducting the election. HJR 59 provides for an amendment to the constitution allowing for the omission of unopposed candidates for local office from the ballot. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this resolution does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS HJR 59 amends the Texas Constitution by authorizing the legislature, for an office of a political subdivision for which the constitution requires an election, to provide by general law for a person to assume the office without an election if the person is the only candidate to qualify in an election to be held for that office. FOR ELECTION November 4, 2003.