| 1 | 1 | | 88R556 TSS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of Dallas H.B. No. 702 |
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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 conduct of primary elections. |
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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 43.007(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (a) The secretary of state shall implement a program to |
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| 12 | 12 | | allow each commissioners court participating in the program to |
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| 13 | 13 | | eliminate county election precinct polling places and establish |
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| 14 | 14 | | countywide polling places for: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) any election required to be conducted by the |
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| 16 | 16 | | county; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) any election held as part of a joint election |
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| 18 | 18 | | agreement with a county under Chapter 271; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) any election held under contract for election |
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| 20 | 20 | | services with a county under Subchapter D, Chapter 31; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) each primary election and runoff primary election |
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| 22 | 22 | | if[: |
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| 23 | 23 | | [(A)] the county chair or county executive |
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| 24 | 24 | | committee of each political party participating in a joint primary |
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| 25 | 25 | | election under Section 172.126 agrees to the use of countywide |
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| 26 | 26 | | polling places; [or |
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| 27 | 27 | | [(B) the county chair or county executive |
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| 28 | 28 | | committee of each political party required to nominate candidates |
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| 29 | 29 | | by primary election agrees to use the same countywide polling |
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| 30 | 30 | | places;] and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) each election of a political subdivision located |
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| 32 | 32 | | in the county that is held jointly with an election described by |
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| 33 | 33 | | Subdivision (3) or (4). |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. The heading to Section 172.126, Election Code, |
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| 35 | 35 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 36 | 36 | | Sec. 172.126. JOINT PRIMARIES REQUIRED [AUTHORIZED]. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. Section 172.126(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 38 | 38 | | read as follows: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (a) The primary elections in a county shall [may] be |
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| 40 | 40 | | conducted jointly at the regular polling places designated for the |
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| 41 | 41 | | general election for state and county officers. The county clerk |
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| 42 | 42 | | shall supervise the overall conduct of the joint primary elections. |
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| 43 | 43 | | This section applies to the conduct of joint primary elections |
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| 44 | 44 | | notwithstanding and in addition to other applicable provisions of |
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| 45 | 45 | | this code. [The decision to conduct a joint general primary |
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| 46 | 46 | | election or runoff primary election, as applicable, must be made by |
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| 47 | 47 | | majority vote of the full membership of the commissioners court and |
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| 48 | 48 | | with the unanimous approval of the county clerk and the county chair |
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| 49 | 49 | | of each political party required to nominate candidates by primary |
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| 50 | 50 | | election.] |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 4. Section 85.0091(b), Election Code, is repealed. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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