| 1 | 1 | | 86R13507 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Turner of Tarrant H.B. No. 3660 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the arrangement of party columns on the ballot. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 52.091, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 52.091. PARTY COLUMNS. [(a)] Party columns shall be |
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| 12 | 12 | | arranged on the ballot using methodical variation as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) for the first precinct, the authority ordering the |
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| 14 | 14 | | election shall conduct a drawing and arrange the party columns in |
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| 15 | 15 | | the order the name of the party is drawn, beginning on the left; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) for the second precinct, the order of the party |
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| 17 | 17 | | columns in the first precinct shall be rotated so that the party in |
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| 18 | 18 | | the first column moves to the last column and each party column |
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| 19 | 19 | | moves to the left by one position; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) for any subsequent precinct, the order of party |
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| 21 | 21 | | columns shall be rotated in the manner described by Subdivision (2) |
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| 22 | 22 | | [in the following order, beginning on the left: |
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| 23 | 23 | | [(1) columns of parties with nominees for statewide or |
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| 24 | 24 | | district offices; |
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| 25 | 25 | | [(2) columns of parties without nominees for statewide |
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| 26 | 26 | | or district offices. |
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| 27 | 27 | | [(b) Columns of parties specified by Subsection (a)(1) |
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| 28 | 28 | | shall be arranged in descending order of the number of votes |
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| 29 | 29 | | received statewide by each party's candidate for governor in the |
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| 30 | 30 | | most recent gubernatorial general election, beginning on the left |
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| 31 | 31 | | with the party whose candidate received the highest number of |
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| 32 | 32 | | votes. Columns of parties that did not have a candidate for |
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| 33 | 33 | | governor in the most recent gubernatorial general election shall |
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| 34 | 34 | | appear after the columns of parties that had a candidate, and the |
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| 35 | 35 | | order of their columns shall be determined by a drawing conducted by |
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| 36 | 36 | | the secretary of state]. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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