AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Section 41.0053 (Elections on Spring Uniform Date in Certain Political Subdivisions), Election Code, requires cities to hold council elections only on the spring uniform election date if the city has a population over 450,000 and the entire council is elected at large, the independent school district or community college service area is largely the same as the city limits, and the transit authority primarily serves the city with a population over 450,000 and council elected at large.
Currently, the only way for a city that meets these criteria to change the election date is to appeal to the legislature.
S.B. 1034 would permit an applicable city to change the election date for city officers to the November uniform election date if a majority vote of city voters opt to make the change.
As proposed, S.B. 1034 amends current law relating to the date of the general election of certain municipalities.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 41.0053, Election Code, by adding Subsection (c), as follows:
(c) Requires a city described by Subsection (a)(1) (providing that this section applies only to a city with a population of more than 450,000 in which all members of the city's governing body are elected at large) to change the date used for the general or special election of its officers to the uniform election date in November if at an election held in the city a majority of the votes cast approve a measure that requires the use of the November date for that purpose. Requires a city changing an election date under this subsection to adjust the terms of office to conform to the new election date.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2011.