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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirements for a candidate's application for a |
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place on the ballot. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 141.031(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A candidate's application for a place on the ballot that |
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is required by this code must: |
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(1) be in writing; |
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(2) be signed and sworn to before a notary public by |
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the candidate and indicate the date that the candidate swears to the |
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application; |
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(3) be timely filed with the appropriate authority; |
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and |
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(4) include: |
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(A) the candidate's name; |
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(B) the candidate's occupation; |
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(C) the office sought, including any place number |
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or other distinguishing number; |
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(D) an indication of whether the office sought is |
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to be filled for a full or unexpired term if the office sought and |
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another office to be voted on have the same title but do not have |
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place numbers or other distinguishing numbers; |
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(E) a statement that the candidate is a United |
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States citizen; |
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(F) a statement that the candidate has not been |
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determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate |
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jurisdiction to be: |
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(i) totally mentally incapacitated; or |
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(ii) partially mentally incapacitated |
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without the right to vote; |
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(G) a statement that the candidate has not been |
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finally convicted of a felony from which the candidate has not been |
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pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities; |
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(H) the candidate's date of birth; |
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(I) the candidate's residence address or, if the |
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residence has no address, the address at which the candidate |
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receives mail and a concise description of the location of the |
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candidate's residence; |
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(J) the candidate's length of continuous |
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residence in the state and in the territory from which the office |
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sought is elected as of the date the candidate swears to the |
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application; |
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(K) the statement: "I, __________, of |
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__________ County, Texas, being a candidate for the office of |
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__________, swear that I will support and defend the constitution |
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and laws of the United States and of the State of Texas"; and |
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(L) a statement that the candidate is aware of |
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the nepotism law, Chapter 573, Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 141.065(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each part of a petition must include an affidavit of the |
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person who circulated it, executed before a notary public, stating |
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that the person: |
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(1) pointed out and read to each signer, before the |
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petition was signed, each statement pertaining to the signer that |
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appears on the petition; |
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(2) witnessed each signature; |
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(3) verified each signer's registration status; and |
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(4) believes each signature to be genuine and the |
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corresponding information to be correct. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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141.031(a) and 141.065(a), Election Code, apply to an application |
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for a place on the ballot made or a petition circulated on or after |
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the effective date of this Act. An application for a place on the |
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ballot made or a petition circulated before the effective date of |
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this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
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application is made or the petition is circulated, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |