| 1 | 1 | | 86R7941 ADM-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 1260 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to jointly held elections for political subdivisions. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 31.0925(b), Election Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (b) The governing body of a political subdivision shall |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | request an election services contract with the county elections |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | administrator to perform all duties and functions of the political |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | subdivision in relation to an election that may be transferred |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | under this subchapter [if the political subdivision receives a |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | petition requesting the contract signed by a number of registered |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | voters residing in the political subdivision that is equal to or |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | exceeds one percent of all votes cast in the most recent general |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | election held by the political subdivision]. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. The heading to Section 271.002, Election Code, |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | is amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 271.002. JOINT ELECTIONS REQUIRED [AUTHORIZED]. |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 3. Sections 271.002(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (a) If the elections ordered by the authorities of two or |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | more political subdivisions are to be held on the same day in all or |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | part of the same county, the governing bodies of the political |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | subdivisions shall [may] enter into an agreement to hold the |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | elections jointly in the election precincts that can be served by |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | common polling places, subject to Section 271.003. |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (b) If an election ordered by the governor and the elections |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | ordered by the authorities of one or more political subdivisions |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | are to be held on the same day in all or part of the same county, the |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | commissioners court of a county in which the election ordered by the |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | governor is to be held and the governing bodies of the other |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | political subdivisions shall [may] enter into an agreement to hold |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | the elections jointly in the election precincts that can be served |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | by common polling places, subject to Section 271.003. |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 4. Section 271.003(a), Election Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (a) A regular county polling place shall [may] be used for a |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | common polling place in a joint election. |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 5. Section 271.007, Election Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | Sec. 271.007. BALLOT. Where possible, a [A] single ballot |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | containing all the offices or propositions stating measures to be |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | voted on at a particular polling place shall [may] be used in a |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | joint election. A voter may not be permitted to select a ballot |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | containing an office or proposition stating a measure on which the |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | voter is ineligible to vote. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 6. Sections 31.0925(a) and (c), 42.002(c), 85.010, |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | and 271.002(c), Election Code, are repealed. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
|---|