| 1 | 1 | | 88R2456 MLH-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shaheen H.B. No. 1003 |
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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 ineligibility to serve as a poll watcher. |
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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 33.006(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (b) A certificate of appointment must: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) be in writing and signed by the appointing |
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| 13 | 13 | | authority or, for an appointment for a write-in candidate under |
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| 14 | 14 | | Section 33.004, by each of the voters making the appointment; |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) indicate the capacity in which the appointing |
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| 16 | 16 | | authority is acting; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (3) state the name, residence address, and voter |
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| 18 | 18 | | registration number of the appointee and be signed by the |
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| 19 | 19 | | appointee; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (4) identify the election and the precinct polling |
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| 21 | 21 | | place or other location at which the appointee is to serve; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (5) in an election on a measure, identify the measure |
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| 23 | 23 | | if more than one is to be voted on and state which side of the |
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| 24 | 24 | | measure the appointee represents; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (6) contain an affidavit executed by the appointee |
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| 26 | 26 | | stating that the appointee: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) will not have possession of a device capable |
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| 28 | 28 | | of recording images or sound or that the appointee will disable or |
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| 29 | 29 | | deactivate the device while serving as a watcher; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) has not been finally convicted of a felony of |
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| 31 | 31 | | the first or second degree or an offense in connection with conduct |
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| 32 | 32 | | directly attributable to an election. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. Section 33.035, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 34 | 34 | | read as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 33.035. INELIGIBILITY OF PERSON CONVICTED OF CERTAIN |
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| 36 | 36 | | OFFENSES [ELECTION OFFENSE]. A person is ineligible to serve as a |
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| 37 | 37 | | watcher in an election if the person has been finally convicted of: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) a felony of the first or second degree; or |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) an offense in connection with conduct directly |
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| 40 | 40 | | attributable to an election. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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