Amend CSSB 1 (senate committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to Article 3 of the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the ARTICLE accordingly:

SECTION 3.___.  Section 87.002, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 87.002.  COMPOSITION OF BOARD. (a) The early voting ballot board consists of a presiding judge, an alternate presiding judge, and at least one [two] other member [members].

(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), the presiding judge and the alternate presiding judge are [is] appointed in the same manner as a presiding election judge and alternate presiding election judge, respectively. Except as provided by Subsection (c), each [the] other member is [members are] appointed by the presiding judge in the same manner as the precinct election clerks.

(c)  In the general election for state and county officers, each county chair of a political party with nominees on the general election ballot shall submit to the county election board a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the early voting ballot board in order of the county chair's preference. The county election board shall appoint at least one person from each list to serve as a member of the early voting ballot board. The same number of members must be appointed from each list. The county election board shall appoint persons as members of the early voting ballot board in the order of preference indicated on each list.

(d)  In addition to the members appointed under Subsection (c), the county election board shall appoint as the presiding judge the highest-ranked person on [from] the list provided under that subsection by the political party whose nominee for governor received the most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election and as the alternate presiding judge the highest-ranked person on the list provided under that subsection by the political party whose nominee for governor received the second most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election.

SECTION 3.___.  Sections 87.027(d) and (e), Election Code, are amended to read as follows:

(d)  The early voting clerk shall determine the number of members who are to compose the signature verification committee and shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's appointment. A committee must consist of not fewer than five members. In an election in which party alignment is indicated on the ballot, each county chair of a political party with a nominee or aligned candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing authority a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature verification committee in order of the county chair's preference. The authority shall appoint at least two persons from each list in the order of preference indicated on each list to serve as members of the committee. The same number of members must be appointed from each list. The authority shall appoint as [the] chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on [from] the list provided by the political party whose nominee for governor received the most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election. The authority shall appoint as vice chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on the list provided by the political party whose nominee for governor received the second most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election. A vacancy on the committee shall be filled by appointment from the original list or from a new list submitted by the appropriate county chair.

(e)  To be eligible to serve on a signature verification committee, a person must be eligible under Subchapter C, Chapter 32, for service as a presiding election judge, except that the person must be a qualified voter:

(1)  of the county, in a countywide election ordered by the governor or a county authority or in a primary election;

(2)  of the part of the county in which the election is held, for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority that does not cover the entire county of the person's residence; or

(3)  of the political subdivision, in an election ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a county.

SECTION 3.___.  Sections 127.006(a) and (c), Election Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a)  The [Both the] manager, [and] the presiding judge, and the alternate presiding judge may appoint clerks to serve at the central counting station.

(c)  A clerk appointed by the manager serves under the manager and shall perform the functions directed by the manager. A clerk appointed by the presiding judge or the alternate presiding judge serves under the presiding judge and shall perform the functions directed by the presiding judge.