AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law defines the deadline for filing a declaration of write-in candidacy for the office of precinct chair or county chair of a political party in a manner that can be confusing to candidates. Presently, the law generally requires a declaration of a write-in candidacy to be filed 62 days before the primary election day. This causes the write-in deadline to float between December 29 and January 6. It also means that the write-in deadline sometimes coincides with the regular January 2 deadline, adding to the confusion.
C.S.H.B. 1904 amends current law relating to the deadlines for write-in candidates for the office of county or precinct chair of a political party.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 171.0231(d), Election Code, as follows:
(d) Requires that a declaration of write-in candidacy be filed not later than 6 p.m. of the fifth day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election, rather than not later than 5 p.m. of the 62nd day before general primary election day. Deletes existing text authorizing a declaration of write-in candidacy for the office sought by the deceased or ineligible candidate, if a candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot for the office of county chair or precinct chair dies or is declared ineligible after the third day before the date of the regular filing deadline prescribed by this subsection, to be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the 59th day before election day.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2011.