| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 924 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to the combination of certain election precincts. |
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| 6 | 6 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 7 | 7 | | SECTION 1. Section 42.006(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 8 | 8 | | read as follows: |
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| 9 | 9 | | (a) Except as [otherwise] provided by this section and |
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| 10 | 10 | | Section 42.0051, a county election precinct must contain at least |
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| 11 | 11 | | 100 but not more than 5,000 registered voters. |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 2. Section 42.0051, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) This section applies only to a county with a population |
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| 16 | 16 | | of less than 1.2 million that does not participate in the countywide |
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| 17 | 17 | | polling place program described by Section 43.007. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a-1) In a general or special election for which use of |
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| 19 | 19 | | county election precincts is required, the commissioner's court [If |
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| 20 | 20 | | changes in county election precinct boundaries to give effect to a |
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| 21 | 21 | | redistricting plan result in county election precincts with a |
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| 22 | 22 | | number of registered voters less than 500, a commissioners court |
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| 23 | 23 | | for a general or special election, or for a primary election the |
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| 24 | 24 | | county executive committee of a political party conducting a |
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| 25 | 25 | | primary election,] may, on the recommendation of the county |
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| 26 | 26 | | election board, combine county election precincts notwithstanding |
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| 27 | 27 | | Section 42.005 if: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) the commissioners court cannot secure a suitable |
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| 29 | 29 | | polling place location under Section 43.031; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) the location of the combined polling place |
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| 31 | 31 | | adequately serves the voters of the combined precinct [to avoid |
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| 32 | 32 | | unreasonable expenditures for election equipment, supplies, and |
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| 33 | 33 | | personnel]. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) A combined precinct under this section may not contain |
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| 35 | 35 | | more than 10,000 registered voters [is subject to the maximum |
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| 36 | 36 | | population prescribed for a precinct under Section 42.006]. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. Section 42.0051(b), Election Code, is repealed. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 39 | 39 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 40 | 40 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 41 | 41 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 924 passed the Senate on |
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| 42 | 42 | | April 20, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 17, Nays 12; and that |
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| 43 | 43 | | the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 25, 2023, by the |
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| 44 | 44 | | following vote: Yeas 19, Nays 12. |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 47 | 47 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 924 passed the House, with |
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| 48 | 48 | | amendment, on May 23, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 87, |
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| 49 | 49 | | Nays 55, two present not voting. |
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| 50 | 50 | | ______________________________ |
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| 51 | 51 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 52 | 52 | | Approved: |
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| 53 | 53 | | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | 54 | | Date |
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| 55 | 55 | | ______________________________ |
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| 56 | 56 | | Governor |
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