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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to providing a voter in a party primary notice of party |
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conventions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 162.004(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) If a voter is accepted to vote without presenting a |
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registration certificate, the presiding judge shall issue the voter |
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an affiliation certificate. The certificate is not required to be |
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issued to a voter in a runoff primary unless the voter requests it. |
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The affiliation certificate may be combined with the notice |
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provided under Section 172.1114. If the combined form is used, an |
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election officer is not required to comply with Subsection (b). |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 172, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 172.1114 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 172.1114. DISTRIBUTION OF NOTICE OF CONVENTIONS. (a) |
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A political party may prepare a notice not larger than letter-sized |
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for distribution to each voter participating in the party's primary |
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election at the time the voter is accepted for voting. |
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(b) The notice may include: |
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(1) information describing the party's convention |
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process; |
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(2) information detailing the time and place of the |
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party's first level convention process; |
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(3) contact information for the county and state |
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political parties; and |
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(4) website links for information and registration for |
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party conventions. |
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(c) The state chair of a political party shall prescribe a |
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form for a notice that may be used in any county. A county chair of |
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a political party may prescribe a specific notice for the county |
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chair's county. The same notice must be used in all precincts |
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within a county. |
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(d) A notice must be approved by the secretary of state. If |
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a county chair of a political party uses the form of notice |
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prescribed by the state chair, only the convention location and |
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time may be added without the secretary of state's approval. |
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(e) A county chair of a political party shall supply a |
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notice prepared according to this section to the authority |
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conducting the election not later than the 30th day before the date |
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early voting by personal appearance begins. |
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(f) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures and |
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adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. |
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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, 2017. |