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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to preregistration for participants in a political party's |
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precinct conventions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 162, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 162.017 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 162.017. PREREGISTRATION. (a) A political party |
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holding a precinct convention may preregister attendees for the |
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convention by electronic means or any other method the party may |
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adopt by rule. |
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(b) The party may, through the preregistration process, |
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collect the following information from attendees: |
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(1) demographic data; |
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(2) information needed to organize and prepare records |
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of the convention; and |
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(3) any additional information required by party rule. |
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(c) In a presidential election year, the party may collect |
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through preregistration declarations of support for presidential |
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candidates or a statement of uncommitted status. The party may by |
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rule use this information to aid in the selection of delegates to |
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its county or senatorial district convention. |
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(d) If a political party collects declarations through |
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preregistration under Subsection (c), it must employ a process by |
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which an attendee may change the attendee's stated preference |
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before the precinct convention. |
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(e) The preregistration process must include the statement |
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described by Section 162.004(a) and require a preregistering |
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attendee to affiliate with the party by taking the oath described in |
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Section 162.007(b). |
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(f) The date and time at which preregistration opens and |
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closes may be set by party rule. |
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(g) A person who does not preregister to attend a precinct |
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convention under this section may register in person at the |
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convention and must have voting rights identical to those of a |
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person who preregistered. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |