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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the administration of political party precinct, county, |
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and senatorial district conventions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 174.022(a), (b), and (c), Election |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A political party may provide by rule for the place, |
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date, and hour for precinct conventions. If party rules do not |
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provide a date for [The] precinct conventions, the conventions |
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shall be held on general primary election day in the regular county |
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election precincts. If party rules do not set the hour and place |
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for a precinct convention, the county executive committee serving a |
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precinct for which the hour and place of the convention was not set |
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by rule, not |
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[(b)Not] later than the date of the regular drawing for |
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position on the general primary election ballot, [the county
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executive committee] shall set the hour and place for convening the |
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[each] precinct convention [for the precincts served by the
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committee]. If the county executive committee fails to do so, the |
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county chair shall set the hour and place. |
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(b) A precinct convention may meet at the same place as one |
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or more other precinct conventions. |
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(c) The date and hour set for convening shall be the same for |
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all precinct conventions and [the conventions] may not be earlier |
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than 7 p.m. [or later than 9 p.m.] Notwithstanding the hour set for |
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convening, the convention may not convene until the last voter has |
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voted at the precinct polling place. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 174.025(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) A political party shall provide by rule a process for |
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the designation of the temporary chair of the precinct convention. |
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If the party does not provide a process for designation, the [The] |
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precinct chair is the temporary chair of the precinct convention |
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held under this subchapter. |
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(b) If the person designated as temporary [precinct] chair |
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is absent, a person who is eligible to participate in the convention |
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may act as temporary chair. |
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SECTION 3. Section 174.062, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 174.062. TYPE OF CONVENTION HELD. (a) A county |
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convention shall be held in a county if the county is not situated |
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in more than one state senatorial district. A political party may |
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provide by rule for the division of the county by commissioners |
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precincts for the purpose of convening more than one county |
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convention in separate places. |
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(b) If a county is situated in more than one state |
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senatorial district, instead of a county convention a senatorial |
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district convention shall be held in each part of the county that is |
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situated in a different senatorial district, unless otherwise |
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provided by party rule. A political party may provide by rule for |
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the division of the senatorial district by commissioners precincts |
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or state representative districts for the purpose of convening more |
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than one senatorial district convention in separate places. |
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SECTION 4. Section 174.063, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the [The] county |
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and senatorial district conventions shall be held on the third |
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Saturday after general primary election day. However, if that date |
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occurs during Passover or on the day following Good Friday, the |
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conventions shall be held on the next Saturday that does not occur |
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during Passover or on the day following Good Friday. |
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(b) The date, hour, and place for the convening of [a] |
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county and senatorial district conventions [convention] shall be |
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set in the same manner as for the precinct conventions held under |
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this chapter. County and senatorial district conventions shall |
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convene at the same date and hour. |
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(d) A party may provide by rule that a county convention |
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shall be held immediately following the precinct conventions, in a |
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location where one or more of the precinct conventions is held. |
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SECTION 5. Section 174.065(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A political party may provide by rule a process for the |
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designation of the temporary chair for a county or senatorial |
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district convention. If a party does not provide a process for the |
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designation by rule: |
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(1) the [The] county chair is the temporary chair of a |
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county convention held under this subchapter; |
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(2) for[. If] a senatorial district [is] situated in |
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more than one county, the senatorial district executive committee |
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member from each county is the temporary chair of the senatorial |
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district convention held in the territory that the committee member |
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represents; and |
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(3) for[. If] a senatorial district [is] not situated |
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in more than one county, the chair of the district executive |
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committee is the temporary chair of the senatorial district |
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convention. |
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SECTION 6. Section 174.063(c), Election Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |