BILL ANALYSIS
By: Denny
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, the county executive committee of a political party is required to supervise the overall conduct of the primary election in that county. Current law also allows the county executive committee to contract with the county for primary election services. Although the provision authorizing the two entities to contract does not change the law requiring the county executive committee to supervise the primary election, some confusion has arisen. In some counties, the county election officer who has contracted with the county party has denied the county party chair complete access to primary election activities, including the room where tabulation of votes occurs. House Bill 1614 clarifies that the county election officer is prohibited from preventing the county party officials from supervising the election.
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 1614 amends the Election Code by prohibiting the county election officer, in an election where a political party has contracted with the county to perform election services in the party's general or runoff primary election, from preventing the county chair of that political party or the chair's designee from supervising the conduct of the primary election, including the tabulation of results.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.