By: Johnson (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 184
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 18, 2011;
  April 20, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 9, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 9, 2011, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the cancellation of a special election to fill a vacancy
  in the legislature.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 2.055, Election Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 2.055.  SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL VACANCY IN
  LEGISLATURE. (a)  The secretary of state shall [may] declare an
  unopposed candidate elected to fill a vacancy in the legislature
  if:
               (1)  each candidate for an office that is to appear on
  the ballot is unopposed; and
               (2)  no proposition is to appear on the ballot.
         (b)  The declaration under Subsection (a) shall be made on
  the second day after:
               (1)  the last date an application for a place on the
  special election ballot may be filed; or
               (2)  the date of a withdrawal, death, or final judgment
  of ineligibility of a candidate that causes the remaining candidate
  to be unopposed.
         (c)  After [If] a declaration is made under Subsection (a),
  the election is not held. A copy of the declaration shall be posted
  on election day at each polling place that would have been used in
  the election.
         (d)  At the same time a declaration is made under Subsection
  (a), the [(c)  The] secretary of state shall issue a certificate of
  election to each candidate in the same manner as provided for a
  candidate elected at the election.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
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