BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1145
81R18729 JRH-D By: Brown, Betty (Fraser)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, election judges and alternate judges are appointed by the county commissioners court from a list provided by the county chair of a political party. A newly elected county chair takes office in the beginning of May and must address a number of issues immediately after taking office. One of these immediate tasks involves the appointment of election judges and alternate election judges. H.B. 1145 grants an additional 30 days for the appointment of election judges and alternate election judges in a county with a population of 500,000 or less.
H.B. 1145 amends current law relating to the appointment of election judges.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 32.002(a), (b), and (c), Election Code, as follows:
(a) Requires the commissioners court to appoint, rather than at its July term to appoint, the election judges for each regular county election precinct:
(1) at its July term in a county with a population of over 500,000; or
(2) at its August term in a county with a population of 500,000 or less.
(b) Provides that judges appointed under Subsection (a) serve for a term of one year, rather than one year beginning on August 1 following the appointment, except that the commissioners court by order recorded in its minutes is authorized to provide for a term of two years. Provides that a judge's term begins August 1 following appointment in a county to which Subsection (a)(1) applies, or September 1 following appointment in a county to which Subsection (a)(2) applies.
(c) Requires the county chair of a political party, before July of each year in a county to which Subsection (a)(1) applies or before August of each year in a county to which Subsection (a)(2) applies, to whose candidate for governor received the highest or second highest number of votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial election to submit in writing to the commissioners court a list of names of persons in order of preference for each precinct who are eligible for appointment as an election judge.
SECTION 2. Provides that the term of an election judge serving on the effective date of this Act expires under certain dates and conditions.
SECTION 3. Effective date: January 1, 2010.