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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the service of central vote counting station officials |
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under an election services contract or in a joint election. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.101 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.101. CENTRAL COUNTING STATION OFFICIALS. (a) In |
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this section, "central counting station official" means the |
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manager, tabulation supervisor, or presiding judge of a central |
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counting station. |
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(b) An election services contract may provide that the |
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county election officer or a county election officer's deputy may |
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serve as a central counting station official. |
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(c) If the county election officer is to serve as or to |
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provide a deputy to serve as a central counting station official, |
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the officer's written order appointing a permanent or temporary |
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deputy of the officer as a central counting station official is |
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sufficient, without the necessity for an appointment by any other |
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authority. |
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(d) A permanent deputy of the county election officer is not |
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subject to the eligibility requirements of this subsection. For a |
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temporary deputy of the officer to be eligible for appointment as a |
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central counting station official, the deputy must have the |
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qualifications for appointment as a presiding election judge, |
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except that: |
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(1) an appointee is not required to be a qualified |
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voter of any particular territory other than the county served by |
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the county election officer or the political subdivision in which |
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the election is held; and |
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(2) if an employee of the contracting political |
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subdivision is appointed, the appointee's status as an employee |
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does not disqualify the appointee from serving in an election in |
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which an officer of the political subdivision is a candidate. |
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(e) The requirements of Subchapter A, Chapter 127, apply to |
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the extent they do not conflict with this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 271.005, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) As used in this section, "election officer" includes a |
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central counting station manager, tabulation supervisor, and |
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presiding judge of the central counting station. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |