82R11329 DRH-F
By: Veasey H.B. No. 2533
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the selection of election officers for early voting
polling places for certain elections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 85.009, Election Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 85.009. ELECTION OFFICERS FOR CERTAIN ELECTIONS
[GENERAL ELECTION FOR STATE AND COUNTY OFFICERS].
SECTION 2. Section 85.009, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
read as follows:
(a) This section applies only to a primary election, a
runoff primary election, or the general election for state and
county officers.
(a-1) The county clerk shall select election officers for
the main early voting polling place and any branch polling place
from a list provided under Subsection (b), in a manner that provides
equal representation to the extent possible for each political
party holding a primary election in the county.
(b) Before July of each year, the county chair of each
political party holding a primary election in the county shall
submit in writing to the county clerk a list of names of persons in
order of preference for each early voting polling place who are
eligible for selection as an election officer. The county chair may
supplement the list of names of persons until the 30th day before
early voting begins in case an appointed election officer becomes
unable to serve. The county clerk shall appoint the first person
meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from the list
submitted in compliance with this subsection by the party whose
candidate for governor received [with] the highest number of votes
in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election as
the presiding election officer of that polling place and the first
person meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from the
list submitted in compliance with this subsection by the party
whose candidate for governor received [with] the second highest
number of votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial
general election as the alternate presiding election officer of
that polling place. The county clerk shall appoint additional
election officers for each polling place in the manner described by
Subsection (a-1) [(a)]. The county clerk may reject the list if the
persons whose names are submitted on the list are determined not to
meet the applicable eligibility requirements.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.