BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3252
86R10928 SRS-F	By: Allen (Zaffirini)
	State Affairs
	5/16/2019
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Current law is unclear regarding whether requirements related to the posting of notices concerning party conventions that voters participating in a primary are eligible to attend applies to the early voting period. What's more, current law requires that notices of primary elections be posted on the party's website, rather than a county's website. This lack of clear access to information regarding important parts of the democratic process limits voters' ability to perform their civic duty.

 

H.B. 3252 would address this problem by requiring convention notices to be posted at poll sites throughout the early voting period and on election day. It also would require that notices regarding party primaries be posted on counties' websites. Providing the voters with more information regarding opportunities for them to participate in the political process would encourage persons to be more engaged in our democracy.      

 

H.B. 3252 amends current law relating to the posting of certain notices in a primary election.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 172.1111(a) and (c), Election Code, as follows:

 

(a) Requires the presiding judge, before the opening of the polls during the early voting period and on election day, rather than before the opening of the polls, to post at each outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which the polling place is located a written notice in bold print of the date, hour, and place for each precinct, county, senatorial, or state convention that a voter in the precinct may be eligible to attend during the election year.

 

(c) Requires the notice to remain posted continuously through the early voting period and on election day, rather than remain posted continuously through election day.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 172.1112(a), Election Code, to replace all references to "party" with "county clerk."

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.