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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to certain ballot access requirements. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 142.007, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 142.007. NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES REQUIRED. The |
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minimum number of signatures that must appear on a candidate's |
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petition is: |
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(1) for a statewide office, two [one] percent of the |
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total vote received by all candidates for governor in the most |
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recent gubernatorial general election; or |
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(2) for a district, county, or precinct office, the |
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lesser of: |
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(A) 1,000 [500]; or |
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(B) five percent of the total vote received in |
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the district, county, or precinct, as applicable, by all candidates |
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for governor in the most recent gubernatorial general election, |
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unless that number is under 25, in which case the required number of |
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signatures is the lesser of: |
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(i) 25; or |
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(ii) 10 percent of that total vote. |
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SECTION 2. Section 172.021(e), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(e) A candidate for an office specified by Section |
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172.024(a)(8), (10), or (12), or for justice of the peace in a |
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county with a population of more than 1.5 million, who chooses to |
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pay the filing fee must also accompany the application with a |
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petition for a place on the primary ballot as a candidate for |
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judicial office that complies with the requirements prescribed for |
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the petition authorized by Subsection (b), except that the minimum |
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number of signatures that must appear on the petition required by |
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this subsection is 500 [250]. If the candidate chooses to file the |
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petition authorized by Subsection (b) in lieu of the filing fee, the |
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minimum number of signatures required for that petition is |
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increased by 500 [250]. Signatures on a petition filed under this |
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subsection or Subsection (b) by a candidate covered by this |
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subsection may not be obtained on the grounds of a county courthouse |
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or courthouse annex. |
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SECTION 3. Section 172.024(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The filing fee for a candidate for nomination in the |
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general primary election is as follows: |
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(1) United States senator $10,000 [$5,000] |
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(2) office elected statewide, except United States |
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senator 7,500 [3,750] |
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(3) United States representative 6,250 [3,125] |
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(4) state senator 2,500 [1,250] |
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(5) state representative 1,500 [750] |
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(6) member, State Board of Education 600 [300] |
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(7) chief justice or justice, court of appeals, other |
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than a justice specified by Subdivision (8) 3,750 [1,875] |
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(8) chief justice or justice of a court of appeals that |
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serves a court of appeals district in which a county with a |
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population of more than one million is wholly or partly situated |
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5,000 [2,500] |
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(9) district judge or judge specified by Section |
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52.092(d) for which this schedule does not otherwise prescribe a |
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fee 3,000 [1,500] |
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(10) district or criminal district judge of a court in |
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a judicial district wholly contained in a county with a population |
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of more than 1.5 million 5,000 [2,500] |
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(11) judge, statutory county court, other than a judge |
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specified by Subdivision (12) 3,000 [1,500] |
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(12) judge of a statutory county court in a county with |
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a population of more than 1.5 million 5,000 [2,500] |
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(13) district attorney, criminal district attorney, |
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or county attorney performing the duties of a district attorney |
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2,500 [1,250] |
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(14) county commissioner, district clerk, county |
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clerk, sheriff, county tax assessor-collector, county treasurer, |
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or judge, constitutional county court: |
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(A) county with a population of 200,000 or more |
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2,500 [1,250] |
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(B) county with a population of under 200,000 |
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1,500 [750] |
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(15) justice of the peace or constable: |
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(A) county with a population of 200,000 or more |
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2,000 [1,000] |
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(B) county with a population of under 200,000 |
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750 [375] |
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(16) county surveyor 150 [75] |
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(17) office of the county government for which this |
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schedule does not otherwise prescribe a fee 1,500 [750] |
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SECTION 4. Section 172.025, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 172.025. NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES REQUIRED. The |
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minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition |
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authorized by Section 172.021(b) is: |
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(1) 10,000 [5,000], for a statewide office; or |
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(2) for a district, county, or precinct office, the |
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lesser of: |
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(A) 1,000 [500]; or |
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(B) two percent of the total vote received in the |
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district, county, or precinct, as applicable, by all the candidates |
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for governor in the most recent gubernatorial general election, |
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unless that number is under 50, in which case the required number of |
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signatures is the lesser of: |
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(i) 50; or |
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(ii) 20 percent of that total vote. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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election ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |