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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the arrangement of party columns 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 52.091, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 52.091. PARTY COLUMNS. [(a)] Party columns shall be |
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arranged on the ballot using methodical variation as follows: |
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(1) for the first precinct, the authority ordering the |
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election shall conduct a drawing and arrange the party columns in |
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the order the name of the party is drawn, beginning on the left; |
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(2) for the second precinct, the order of the party |
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columns in the first precinct shall be rotated so that the party in |
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the first column moves to the last column and each party column |
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moves to the left by one position; and |
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(3) for any subsequent precinct, the order of party |
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columns shall be rotated in the manner described by Subdivision (2) |
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[in the following order, beginning on the left:
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[(1)
columns of parties with nominees for statewide or
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district offices;
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[(2)
columns of parties without nominees for statewide
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or district offices.
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[(b)
Columns of parties specified by Subsection (a)(1)
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shall be arranged in descending order of the number of votes
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received statewide by each party's candidate for governor in the
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most recent gubernatorial general election, beginning on the left
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with the party whose candidate received the highest number of
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votes. Columns of parties that did not have a candidate for
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governor in the most recent gubernatorial general election shall
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appear after the columns of parties that had a candidate, and the
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order of their columns shall be determined by a drawing conducted by
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the secretary of state]. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |