| 83R6061 ATP-F | ||
| By: S. Davis of Harris | H.B. No. 1783 | |
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| relating to the authority of the county clerk with respect to | ||
| certain early voting election officers. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 85.009, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (b) Before July of each year, the county chair of a [ |
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| political party whose candidate for governor received the highest | ||
| or second highest number of votes in the county in the most recent | ||
| gubernatorial general election [ |
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| of persons in order of preference for each early voting polling | ||
| place who are eligible for selection as an election officer. The | ||
| county chair may supplement the list of names of persons until the | ||
| 30th day before early voting begins in case an appointed election | ||
| officer becomes unable to serve. The county clerk shall appoint the | ||
| first person meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from | ||
| the list submitted in compliance with this subsection by the party | ||
| with the highest number of votes in the county as the presiding | ||
| election officer of that polling place and the first person meeting | ||
| the applicable eligibility requirements from the list submitted in | ||
| compliance with this subsection by the party with the second | ||
| highest number of votes in the county as the alternate presiding | ||
| election officer of that polling place. The county clerk shall | ||
| appoint additional election officers for each polling place in the | ||
| manner described by Subsection (a). The county clerk may reject the | ||
| list if the persons whose names are submitted on the list are | ||
| determined not to meet the applicable eligibility requirements. | ||
| (d) After early voting has begun, the county clerk may: | ||
| (1) dismiss an election officer for an early voting | ||
| polling place if the officer is not able to meet the statutory | ||
| requirements of the position or if the officer has poor hygiene and | ||
| replace the officer with another person from the appropriate | ||
| party's list submitted under Subsection (b), or if a list is not | ||
| submitted, another person in a manner ensuring equal representation | ||
| to the extent possible for the parties holding a primary election in | ||
| the county; or | ||
| (2) transfer early voting officers among early voting | ||
| polling places in a manner that ensures equal representation to the | ||
| extent possible for the parties holding a primary election in the | ||
| county. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||