86R10391 ADM-F
By: Vo H.B. No. 2628
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the manner of reporting and maintaining certain
information relating to candidates and election returns.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 67.007(a), (c), and (d), Election Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) For each election for a statewide, [or] district,
county, or precinct office, a statewide measure, or president and
vice-president of the United States, the county clerk of each
county in the territory covered by the election shall prepare
county election returns.
(c) The county clerk shall certify [sign] the county returns
[to certify their accuracy].
(d) Not later than 24 hours after completion of the local
canvass, the county clerk shall deliver to the secretary of state,
in the manner directed by the secretary, the county returns [in a
sealed envelope]. [The envelope shall be labeled: "Election
Returns for __________ (name) County, for __________(election)."]
SECTION 2. Sections 67.008(b) and (c), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) The returns shall be delivered to the secretary of state
as provided by Section 67.007. [, except that the envelope shall be
labeled: "Returns of Election for Governor/Lieutenant Governor,
__________ (name) County, for __________(election)."]
(c) The secretary of state shall retain the returns [in
their sealed condition] until the first day of the next regular
legislative session, when the secretary shall deliver the returns
to the speaker of the house of representatives.
SECTION 3. Section 67.009(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) With the delivery of the official county returns forms,
the secretary of state shall deliver[:
[(1)] written instructions on the preparation and
delivery of the county election returns[; and
[(2) the officially prescribed envelopes for
delivering the returns to the secretary].
SECTION 4. Sections 172.029(b), (c), (d), and (e), Election
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(b) The secretary of state shall continuously maintain an
online database of information submitted under this section. The
database must be accessible by the county and precinct chairs of the
party that submitted the information. Any changes in the party's
county or precinct chairs shall be reported to the secretary of
state by posting online in the database maintained for this
purpose. A county or precinct chair may not participate in any
votes of an executive committee unless the chair's information has
been reported to the secretary of state in accordance with this
section. The secretary of state shall adopt rules to implement this
section, including rules regarding the public availability of
information submitted under this section.
(c) The secretary of state may by rule prescribe a deadline
by which the state chair and county chair must electronically
submit information described by Subsection (a) [deliver the chair's
submission regarding a candidate] to the secretary of state[, and
each county chair shall deliver a copy of the chair's submission
regarding a candidate to the county clerk, the state chair, and the
secretary of state when the chair accepts the application. The
secretary of state may by rule prescribe a deadline for the delivery
of a submission under this subsection].
(d) The secretary of state shall be notified by electronic
submission to the secretary of state's Internet website if a
candidate withdraws, dies, or is declared ineligible, or if the
candidate's application is determined not to comply with the
applicable requirements. The secretary of state shall adopt rules
implementing this subsection.
(e) The secretary of state shall:
(1) make available on the secretary of state's
Internet website [archive and keep available for inspection] a list
of all candidates for whom information has been submitted under
this section and archive the list on the Internet website for
historical purposes after the election; and
(2) prescribe rules for submitting the list
electronically [and methodology for distribution to each county
clerk and state chair].
SECTION 5. Section 172.055(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) Not later than 24 hours after the candidate withdraws or
is declared ineligible or after the authority preparing the notice
learns of the candidate's death, as applicable, the authority shall
post the notice on the authority's Internet website, if one is
maintained. The authority shall additionally deliver a copy of the
notice to, as applicable:
(1) the secretary of state, to be posted on the
secretary of state's Internet website, for a candidate for an
office filled by voters of more than one county; or [at least one
daily newspaper published in the county or, if none, at least one
weekly newspaper published there, if any, for a notice prepared by
the county chair;]
(2) the county clerk, to be posted on the county
clerk's Internet website, for an office filled by voters of a single
county [at least three daily newspapers that regularly maintain a
news representative at the State Capitol, for a notice applicable
to a statewide office; or
[(3) at least one daily newspaper published in each
county wholly or partly situated in the district or, if none, at
least one weekly newspaper published there, if any, for a notice
prepared by the state chair for a district office].
SECTION 6. Sections 172.117(a-1) and (a-2), Election Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a-1) The secretary of state shall develop appropriate
notations to describe the status of each candidate. The notations
shall include:
(1) "filed";
(2) "accepted";
(3) "rejected";
(4) "withdrew";
(5) [(3)] "lost primary";
(6) [(4)] "in runoff";
(7) [(5)] "lost runoff";
(8) [(6)] "deceased";
(9) [(7)] "declared ineligible"; or
(10) [(8)] "nominee for general election."
(a-2) The county chair shall update the notations after each
general primary and runoff primary election, unless the secretary
of state's website automatically updates the notations based on
election returns. After any withdrawal or death of a candidate, and
subsequent replacement of the candidate on the ballot, the chair
shall notify the state chair, who shall update the notation on the
website. All notations must be completed and accurate on the date
prescribed by the secretary of state by rule to ensure that an
authority printing general election ballots may rely on the
information.
SECTION 7. Section 181.032, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
follows:
(b) Not later than the 10th day after the date of the filing
deadline prescribed by Section 181.033, the authority with whom an
application is filed shall deliver to the secretary of state a list
containing:
(1) each candidate's name;
(2) each candidate's residence address;
(3) the office sought by the candidate; [and]
(4) the date on which the candidate filed the
application; and
(5) any additional information required by the
secretary of state.
(c) A list delivered under Subsection (b) must be in a
format prescribed by the secretary of state.
SECTION 8. Section 181.068(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) The presiding officer of each convention held under this
chapter shall certify, in a format prescribed by the secretary of
state, [writing] for placement on the general election ballot the
name and address of each candidate nominated by the convention.
SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.