BILL ANALYSIS
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, most precincts in a county must contain between 100 and 2,000 registered voters. The Election Code provides exceptions to the maximum population for counties that have adopted a voting system, meaning ballots are cast using a method other than traditional paper ballots. For the smallest of these counties, the law allows precincts to contain as many as 5,000 registered voters. The largest counties, however, are still restricted from having precincts larger than 3,000 registered voters, even though it is in these fast growing, urban areas, that having smaller precincts means a potentially unmanageable number of precincts. More precincts means more election workers and a greater burden on the election officials who administer the process. CSHB 2759 would provide a maximum population per precinct of 5,000 registered voters in all counties that have adopted a voting system.
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
CSHB 2759 amends the Election Code by providing a uniform maximum population of 5,000 registered voters for all counties in which a voting system has been adopted, rather than providing tiered limits depending upon the size of the county.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute modifies the original by providing a maximum number of registered voters in a county election precinct of 5,000 for counties that have adopted a voting system, rather than raising the limit in all counties to 5,000. The substitute does not repeal the provision authorizing greater maximum population per precinct in counties with voting systems.