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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the members on a signature verification committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a), (d), and (e) and adding Subsections |
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(a-2), (a-3), (d-1), (d-2), (n), and (o) to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a signature |
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verification committee may be appointed in any election. In an |
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election other than a primary election or runoff primary election, |
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the [The] early voting clerk is the authority responsible for |
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determining whether a signature verification committee is to be |
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appointed. In a primary election or runoff primary election, the |
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county chair of a political party is the authority responsible for |
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determining whether a signature verification committee is to be |
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appointed. |
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(a-2) If the early voting clerk determines under Subsection |
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(a) that a signature verification committee is to be appointed for |
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an election other than a primary election or runoff primary |
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election, the clerk shall issue a written order calling for the |
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appointment not later than the 32nd day before the date of the |
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election. |
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(a-3) If the county chair of a political party determines |
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under Subsection (a) that a signature verification committee is to |
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be appointed for a primary election or a runoff primary election, |
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the county chair shall issue a written order calling for the |
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appointment not later than the 32nd day before the date of the |
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election. |
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(d) The early voting clerk shall determine the total number |
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of members who are to compose the signature verification committee |
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and shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's |
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appointment. A committee must have an odd number of members |
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[consist of] not fewer than five in number [members]. In an |
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election in which party alignment is indicated on the ballot, each |
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county chair of a political party with a nominee or aligned |
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candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing authority a |
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list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature |
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verification committee in order of the county chair's |
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preference. Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), the [The] |
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authority shall appoint at least two persons from each list in the |
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order of preference indicated on each list to serve as members of |
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the committee. The same number of members must be appointed from |
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each list. |
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(d-1) In addition to the other members of the committee |
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appointed from 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 [The] authority shall appoint |
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as chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on the list |
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provided by that [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]. |
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(d-2) The authority shall appoint as vice chair of the |
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committee the highest-ranked person appointed to the committee from |
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[on] the list provided by the political party whose nominee for |
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governor received the second most votes in the county in the most |
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recent gubernatorial general election. A vacancy on the committee |
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shall be filled by appointment from the original list or from a new |
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list submitted by the appropriate county chair. |
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(e) To be eligible to serve on a signature verification |
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committee, a person must not be a member of an early voting ballot |
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board, and must be eligible under Subchapter C, Chapter 32, for |
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service as a presiding election judge, except that the person must |
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be a qualified voter: |
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(1) of the county, in a countywide election ordered by |
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the governor or a county authority or in a primary election; |
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(2) of the part of the county in which the election is |
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held, for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority |
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that does not cover the entire county of the person's residence; or |
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(3) of the political subdivision, in an election |
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ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a |
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county. |
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(n) Before performing any duties as a member of a signature |
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verification committee, a member shall take the following oath, |
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administered by the authority responsible for appointing the |
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members of the committee: "I swear (or affirm) that I will |
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objectively work to ensure each eligible voter's vote is accepted |
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and counted, and that only ballots not in compliance with the Texas |
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Election Code are rejected; I will make every effort to correctly |
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reflect the intent of a voter when it can be clearly determined; I |
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will not serve alone at any time when ballots are present, and will |
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only serve in the presence of a member of a political party |
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different from my own; I will faithfully perform my duty as an |
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officer of the election, and will guard the purity of the election." |
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(o) After each member takes the oath under Subsection (n), |
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the authority responsible for appointing the members of the |
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signature verification committee shall issue to each member a form |
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of identification prescribed by the secretary of state, which the |
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member must display at all times during the member's service on the |
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committee. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |