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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the appointment of election judges. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 32.002(a), (b), and (c), Election Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The commissioners court at its August [July] term shall |
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appoint the election judges for each regular county election |
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precinct. |
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(b) Judges appointed under Subsection (a) serve for a term |
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of one year beginning on September 1 [August 1] following the |
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appointment, except that the commissioners court by order recorded |
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in its minutes may provide for a term of two years. |
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(c) The presiding judge and alternate presiding judge must |
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be affiliated or aligned with different political parties, subject |
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to this subsection. Before August [July] of each year, the county |
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chair of a political party whose candidate for governor received |
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the highest or second highest number of votes in the county in the |
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most recent gubernatorial general election shall submit in writing |
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to the commissioners court a list of names of persons in order of |
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preference for each precinct who are eligible for appointment as an |
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election judge. The county chair may supplement the list of names |
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of persons until the 20th day before a general election or the 15th |
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day before a special election in case an appointed election judge |
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becomes unable to serve. The commissioners court shall appoint the |
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first person meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from |
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the list submitted in compliance with this subsection by the party |
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with the highest number of votes in the precinct as the presiding |
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judge and the first person meeting the applicable eligibility |
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requirements from the list submitted in compliance with this |
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subsection by the party with the second highest number of votes in |
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the precinct as the alternate presiding judge. The commissioners |
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court may reject the list if the persons whose names are submitted |
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on the list are determined not to meet the applicable eligibility |
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requirements. |
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SECTION 2. The term of an election judge serving on the |
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effective date of this Act expires: |
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(1) September 1, 2010, if the judge's term would expire |
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August 1, 2010, under Section 32.002(b), Election Code, as that |
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section existed before amendment by this Act; or |
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(2) September 1, 2011, if the judge's term would expire |
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August 1, 2011, under Section 32.002(b), Election Code, as that |
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section existed before amendment by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2010. |