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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the appointment of early voting boards, including the |
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signature verification committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 87.002(a), (b), and (d), Election Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The early voting ballot board consists of a presiding |
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judge, an alternate presiding judge, and at least two other |
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members. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the presiding |
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judge and the alternate presiding judge are [is] appointed in the |
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same manner as a presiding election judge under Section 32.002. |
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Except as provided by Subsection (c), the other members are |
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appointed by the presiding judge in the same manner as the precinct |
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election clerks. |
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(d) In addition to the members appointed under Subsection |
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(c), the county election board shall appoint the presiding judge |
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from the list provided under that subsection by the political party |
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whose nominee for governor received the most votes in the county in |
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the most recent gubernatorial general election and the alternate |
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presiding judge from the list provided under that subsection by the |
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political party whose nominee for governor received the second most |
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votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general |
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election. |
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SECTION 2. Section 87.027(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The early voting clerk shall determine the number of |
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members who are to compose the signature verification committee and |
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shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's |
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appointment. A committee must consist of not fewer than five |
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members. In an election in which party alignment is indicated on |
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the ballot, each county chair of a political party with a nominee or |
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aligned candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing |
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authority a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the |
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signature verification committee. The authority shall appoint at |
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least two persons from each list to serve as members of the |
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committee. The same number of members must be appointed from each |
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list. The authority shall appoint the chair of the committee from |
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the list provided by the political party whose nominee for governor |
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received the most votes in the county in the most recent |
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gubernatorial general election. The authority shall also appoint a |
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vice chair of the committee from the list provided by a political |
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party whose nominee for governor received the second most votes in |
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the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election. A |
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vacancy on the committee shall be filled by appointment from the |
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original list or from a new list submitted by the appropriate county |
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chair. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |