H.B. No. 1145
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the appointment of election judges.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 32.002(a), (b), and (c), Election Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioners court [at its July term] shall 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)  Judges appointed under Subsection (a) serve for a term
  of one year [beginning on August 1 following the appointment],
  except that the commissioners court by order recorded in its
  minutes may provide for a term of two years.  A judge's term begins:
               (1)  August 1 following appointment in a county to
  which Subsection (a)(1) applies; or
               (2)  September 1 following appointment in a county to
  which Subsection (a)(2) applies.
         (c)  The presiding judge and alternate presiding judge must
  be affiliated or aligned with different political parties, subject
  to this subsection.  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, the county chair of a political
  party whose candidate for governor received the highest or second
  highest number of votes in the county in the most recent
  gubernatorial general election shall 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.  The county chair may supplement the list of names
  of persons until the 20th day before a general election or the 15th
  day before a special election in case an appointed election judge
  becomes unable to serve.  The commissioners court shall appoint the
  first person meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from
  the list submitted in compliance with this subsection by the party
  with the highest number of votes in the precinct as the presiding
  judge and the first person meeting the applicable eligibility
  requirements from the list submitted in compliance with this
  subsection by the party with the second highest number of votes in
  the precinct as the alternate presiding judge.  The commissioners
  court may reject the list if the persons whose names are submitted
  on the list are determined not to meet the applicable eligibility
  requirements.
         SECTION 2.  The term of an election judge serving on the
  effective date of this Act expires:
               (1)  September 1, 2010, if the judge serves in a county
  with a population of 500,000 or less and the judge's term would
  expire August 1, 2010, under Section 32.002(b), Election Code, as
  that section existed before amendment by this Act;
               (2)  August 1, 2010, if the judge serves in a county
  with a population of over 500,000 and the judge's term would expire
  August 1, 2010, under Section 32.002(b), Election Code, as that
  section existed before amendment by this Act;
               (3)  September 1, 2011, if the judge serves in a county
  with a population of 500,000 or less and the judge's term would
  expire August 1, 2011, under Section 32.002(b), Election Code, as
  that section existed before amendment by this Act; or
               (4)  August 1, 2011, if the judge serves in a county
  with a population of over 500,000 and the judge's term would expire
  August 1, 2011, under Section 32.002(b), Election Code, as that
  section existed before amendment by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2010.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1145 was passed by the House on April
  9, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 148, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 1145 was passed by the Senate on May
  26, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor