BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1164

By: Thompson, Ed

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a county must honor the ward lines of a city with a population of 10,000 or more when redistricting, a practice that was established because a city's ward voters vote only on the candidates in their ward.  Interested parties note that the statewide proliferation of electronic voting equipment permits the wards in each voter's individual file to be identified upon registration and that voting machines are now programmed so any combination of ballots can be uniquely displayed on each machine.  These parties contend that requiring election workers to administer additional precincts during federal, state, and county elections is unnecessary and adds additional costs to conducting such elections.  H.B. 1164 seeks to save local entities money by eliminating the requirement that a county honor the ward lines of certain cities when establishing a county election precinct.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1164 amends the Election Code to remove a provision prohibiting a county election precinct, including a consolidated precinct, from containing territory from more than one ward in a city with a population of 10,000 or more.

H.B. 1164 repeals the following provisions of the Election Code:

· Sections 42.005(c) and (d)

· Section 42.010(a)

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.