BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 719 By: Flynn Elections Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many polling locations in Texas hold joint primary elections, allowing voters registered with either political party to vote at the same polling place. This procedure saves time and money for both the voters and the employees who run the elections; however, the signs that assist in guiding voters to the polling place often are decorated with only one political party's name or symbol. This can confuse voters arriving to vote in the primary of their party choice but who see only the other party's name or symbol on the posted signs. Parity is necessary in advertising the location of a polling place. H.B. 719 provides parity for signs used to indicate the location of a polling place for a joint primary election by requiring that the signs either contain both parties' symbols or names or neither parties' symbols or names. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 719 amends the Election Code to require that a sign used to indicate the location of a polling place for a primary election or a primary runoff election for more than one political party either not contain the name of, or symbol representing, any political party that is holding an election at the polling place or contain each name of, or each symbol representing, a political party that is holding an election at the polling place. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2009.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 719
By: Flynn
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 719
By: Flynn
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many polling locations in Texas hold joint primary elections, allowing voters registered with either political party to vote at the same polling place. This procedure saves time and money for both the voters and the employees who run the elections; however, the signs that assist in guiding voters to the polling place often are decorated with only one political party's name or symbol. This can confuse voters arriving to vote in the primary of their party choice but who see only the other party's name or symbol on the posted signs. Parity is necessary in advertising the location of a polling place. H.B. 719 provides parity for signs used to indicate the location of a polling place for a joint primary election by requiring that the signs either contain both parties' symbols or names or neither parties' symbols or names.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 719 amends the Election Code to require that a sign used to indicate the location of a polling place for a primary election or a primary runoff election for more than one political party either not contain the name of, or symbol representing, any political party that is holding an election at the polling place or contain each name of, or each symbol representing, a political party that is holding an election at the polling place.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2009.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Many polling locations in Texas hold joint primary elections, allowing voters registered with either political party to vote at the same polling place. This procedure saves time and money for both the voters and the employees who run the elections; however, the signs that assist in guiding voters to the polling place often are decorated with only one political party's name or symbol. This can confuse voters arriving to vote in the primary of their party choice but who see only the other party's name or symbol on the posted signs. Parity is necessary in advertising the location of a polling place.
H.B. 719 provides parity for signs used to indicate the location of a polling place for a joint primary election by requiring that the signs either contain both parties' symbols or names or neither parties' symbols or names.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 719 amends the Election Code to require that a sign used to indicate the location of a polling place for a primary election or a primary runoff election for more than one political party either not contain the name of, or symbol representing, any political party that is holding an election at the polling place or contain each name of, or each symbol representing, a political party that is holding an election at the polling place.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2009.