Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4453 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15719 MLH-D
2	2	By: Bhojani H.B. No. 4453
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to nonpartisan primary elections; authorizing a fee.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Sections 1.005(6) and (14), Election Code, are
12	12	amended to read as follows:
13	13	(6) "General election" means an election, other than a
14	14	primary election held by a political party under Chapter 172 or a
15	15	presidential primary election, that regularly recurs at fixed
16	16	dates.
17	17	(14) "Primary election" means, where the context
18	18	indicates, a general [an] election held [by a political party under
19	19	Chapter 172] to select candidates [its nominees] for public office,
20	20	and, unless the context indicates otherwise, the term includes an
21	21	election held by a political party under Chapter 172 to select party
22	22	officers and a presidential primary election.
23	23	SECTION 2. Section 13.122(a), Election Code, is amended to
24	24	read as follows:
25	25	(a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for
26	26	entering information that appear on an officially prescribed
27	27	registration application form, each official form must include:
28	28	(1) the statement: "I understand that giving false
29	29	information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime
30	30	under state and federal law.";
31	31	(2) a space for the applicant's registration number;
32	32	(3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license
33	33	number or number of a personal identification card issued by the
34	34	Department of Public Safety;
35	35	(4) a space for the applicant's telephone number;
36	36	(5) a space for the applicant's social security
37	37	number;
38	38	(6) a space for the applicant's sex;
39	39	(7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the
40	40	applicant's telephone number and sex is optional;
41	41	(8) a space or box for indicating whether the
42	42	applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a
43	43	change in current registration information;
44	44	(9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the
45	45	form to make a change in current registration information to enter
46	46	the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate
47	47	spaces on the form;
48	48	(10) a statement that if the applicant declines to
49	49	register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be
50	50	used only for voter registration purposes;
51	51	(11) a statement that if the applicant does register
52	52	to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the
53	53	application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used
54	54	only for voter registration purposes;
55	55	(12) a space or box for indicating whether the
56	56	applicant is interested in working as an election judge;
57	57	(13) a statement warning that a conviction for making
58	58	a false statement may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum
59	59	amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount
60	60	provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine;
61	61	(14) a space or box for indicating the applicant's
62	62	party affiliation or alignment, if any; and
63	63	(15) [(14)] any other voter registration information
64	64	required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by
65	65	the secretary of state.
66	66	SECTION 3. Section 31.032(a), Election Code, is amended to
67	67	read as follows:
68	68	(a) The position of county elections administrator is
69	69	filled by appointment of the county election commission, which
70	70	consists of:
71	71	(1) the county judge, as chair;
72	72	(2) the county clerk, as vice chair;
73	73	(3) the county tax assessor-collector, as secretary;
74	74	and
75	75	(4) the county chair of each political party that
76	76	holds a [made nominations by] primary election in the year [for the
77	77	last general election for state and county officers] preceding the
78	78	date of the meeting at which the appointment is made.
79	79	SECTION 4. Section 31.124(b), Election Code, is amended to
80	80	read as follows:
81	81	(b) A county election officer of each county shall deliver
82	82	written notice of the time and place of the meeting required by
83	83	Subsection (a) not later than 72 hours before the meeting date to
84	84	the county chair of each political party that made nominations in
85	85	the most recent presidential [by] primary election [for the general
86	86	election for state and county officers] preceding the date of the
87	87	meeting.
88	88	SECTION 5. Section 31.153(a), Election Code, is amended to
89	89	read as follows:
90	90	(a) The joint elections commission consists of:
91	91	(1) from each county that has adopted an order to have
92	92	its elections conducted by the joint elections administrator, the
93	93	county judge, county clerk, and county tax assessor-collector;
94	94	(2) from each county described in Subdivision (1), the
95	95	county chair of each political party that made nominations in the
96	96	most recent presidential [by] primary election [for the last
97	97	general election for state and county officers] preceding the date
98	98	of the meeting at which the appointment is made; and
99	99	(3) a representative from each participating entity
100	100	other than a county.
101	101	SECTION 6. Section 32.002(c), Election Code, is amended to
102	102	read as follows:
103	103	(c) The presiding judge and alternate presiding judge must
104	104	be affiliated or aligned with different political parties, subject
105	105	to this subsection. Before July of each year in a county to which
106	106	Subsection (a)(1) applies or before August of each year in a county
107	107	to which Subsection (a)(2) applies, the county chair of a political
108	108	party whose candidate for president [governor] received the highest
109	109	or second highest number of votes in the county in the most recent
110	110	presidential [gubernatorial] general election shall submit in
111	111	writing to the commissioners court a list of names of persons in
112	112	order of preference for each precinct who are eligible for
113	113	appointment as an election judge. The county chair may supplement
114	114	the list of names of persons until the 20th day before a general
115	115	election or the 15th day before a special election in case an
116	116	appointed election judge becomes unable to serve. The
117	117	commissioners court shall appoint the first person meeting the
118	118	applicable eligibility requirements from the list submitted in
119	119	compliance with this subsection by the party with the highest
120	120	number of votes in the precinct in the most recent presidential
121	121	general election as the presiding judge and the first person
122	122	meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from the list
123	123	submitted in compliance with this subsection by the party with the
124	124	second highest number of votes in the precinct as the alternate
125	125	presiding judge. If the candidates for president [governor] of two
126	126	political parties received the same number of votes in the
127	127	precinct, the first person meeting the applicable eligibility
128	128	requirements from the list submitted by the party whose candidate
129	129	for president [governor] received the highest number of votes in
130	130	the county shall be appointed as the presiding judge and the first
131	131	person meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from the
132	132	list submitted by the party whose candidate for president
133	133	[governor] received the second highest number of votes in the
134	134	county shall be appointed as the alternate presiding judge. The
135	135	commissioners court may reject the list if the persons whose names
136	136	are submitted on the list are determined not to meet the applicable
137	137	eligibility requirements.
138	138	SECTION 7. Sections 32.034(b) and (e), Election Code, are
139	139	amended to read as follows:
140	140	(b) The county chair of a political party whose candidate
141	141	for president [governor] received the highest or second highest
142	142	number of votes in the county in the most recent presidential
143	143	[gubernatorial] general election may, not later than the 25th day
144	144	before a general election or the 10th day before a special election
145	145	to which Subsection (a) applies, submit to a presiding judge a list
146	146	containing the names of at least two persons who are eligible for
147	147	appointment as a clerk. If a timely list is submitted, the
148	148	presiding judge shall appoint at least one clerk from the list,
149	149	except as provided by Subsection (c).
150	150	(e) If a presiding judge has not been appointed at the time
151	151	the county chair of a political party is required to submit a list
152	152	of names for the appointment of a clerk under this section, the list
153	153	of names shall be submitted to the county chair of the political
154	154	party whose candidate for president [governor] received the most
155	155	votes in the precinct in the most recent presidential
156	156	[gubernatorial] election and to the commissioners court. The
157	157	county chair, or the commissioners court in a county without a
158	158	county chair, shall appoint clerks from the list in the same manner
159	159	provided for a presiding judge to appoint clerks by this section.
160	160	SECTION 8. Sections 41.007(a) and (b), Election Code, are
161	161	amended to read as follows:
162	162	(a) The date for the general primary election and for a
163	163	primary election held by a political party under Chapter 172 [date]
164	164	is the first Tuesday in March in each even-numbered year.
165	165	(b) The runoff [primary] election date for a primary
166	166	election held by a political party under Chapter 172 is the fourth
167	167	Tuesday in May following the general primary election.
168	168	SECTION 9. Section 51.002(b), Election Code, is amended to
169	169	read as follows:
170	170	(b) For the general election for state and county officers
171	171	and for a special election for an officer regularly elected at the
172	172	general election, the county election board consists of the county
173	173	judge, county clerk, voter registrar, sheriff, and county chair of
174	174	each political party that holds a [required to nominate candidates
175	175	by] primary election. For other elections, the board consists of
176	176	the county judge, county clerk, voter registrar, and sheriff.
177	177	SECTION 10. Section 52.091(b), Election Code, is amended to
178	178	read as follows:
179	179	(b) Columns of parties specified by Subsection (a)(1) shall
180	180	be arranged in descending order of the number of votes received
181	181	statewide by each party's candidate for president [governor] in the
182	182	most recent presidential [gubernatorial] general election,
183	183	beginning on the left with the party whose candidate received the
184	184	highest number of votes. Columns of parties that did not have a
185	185	candidate for president [governor] in the most recent presidential
186	186	[gubernatorial] general election shall appear after the columns of
187	187	parties that had a candidate, and the order of their columns shall
188	188	be determined by a drawing conducted by the secretary of state.
189	189	SECTION 11. Sections 87.002(c) and (d), Election Code, are
190	190	amended to read as follows:
191	191	(c) In the general election for state and county officers,
192	192	each county chair of a political party with an affiliated candidate
193	193	[nominees] on the general election ballot shall submit to the
194	194	county election board a list of names of persons eligible to serve
195	195	on the early voting ballot board in order of the county chair's
196	196	preference. The county election board shall appoint at least one
197	197	person from each list to serve as a member of the early voting
198	198	ballot board. The same number of members must be appointed from
199	199	each list. The county election board shall appoint persons as
200	200	members of the early voting ballot board in the order of preference
201	201	indicated on each list.
202	202	(d) In addition to the members appointed under Subsection
203	203	(c), the county election board shall appoint as the presiding judge
204	204	the highest-ranked person on the list provided under that
205	205	subsection by the political party whose nominee for president
206	206	[governor] received the most votes in the county in the most recent
207	207	presidential [gubernatorial] general election and as the alternate
208	208	presiding judge the highest-ranked person on the list provided
209	209	under that subsection by the political party whose nominee for
210	210	president [governor] received the second most votes in the county
211	211	in the most recent presidential [gubernatorial] general election.
212	212	SECTION 12. Section 87.027(d), Election Code, is amended to
213	213	read as follows:
214	214	(d) The early voting clerk shall determine the number of
215	215	members who are to compose the signature verification committee and
216	216	shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's
217	217	appointment. A committee must consist of not fewer than five
218	218	members. In an election in which party alignment is indicated on
219	219	the ballot, each county chair of a political party with a nominee or
220	220	aligned candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing
221	221	authority a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the
222	222	signature verification committee in order of the county chair's
223	223	preference. The authority shall appoint at least two persons from
224	224	each list in the order of preference indicated on each list to serve
225	225	as members of the committee. The same number of members must be
226	226	appointed from each list. The authority shall appoint as chair of
227	227	the committee the highest-ranked person on the list provided by the
228	228	political party whose nominee for president [governor] received the
229	229	most votes in the county in the most recent presidential
230	230	[gubernatorial] general election. The authority shall appoint as
231	231	vice chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on the list
232	232	provided by the political party whose nominee for president
233	233	[governor] received the second most votes in the county in the most
234	234	recent presidential [gubernatorial] general election. A vacancy on
235	235	the committee shall be filled by appointment from the original list
236	236	or from a new list submitted by the appropriate county chair.
237	237	SECTION 13. Section 141.001(a), Election Code, is amended
238	238	to read as follows:
239	239	(a) To be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or
240	240	appointed to, a public elective office in this state, a person must:
241	241	(1) be a United States citizen;
242	242	(2) be 18 years of age or older on the first day of the
243	243	term to be filled at the election or on the date of appointment, as
244	244	applicable;
245	245	(3) have not been determined by a final judgment of a
246	246	court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
247	247	(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or
248	248	(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the
249	249	right to vote;
250	250	(4) have not been finally convicted of a felony from
251	251	which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from
252	252	the resulting disabilities;
253	253	(5) have resided continuously in the state for 12
254	254	months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six
255	255	months immediately preceding the following date:
256	256	(A) for a candidate whose name is to appear on a
257	257	general primary election ballot, the date of the regular filing
258	258	deadline for a candidate's application for a place on the ballot;
259	259	(B) for a [an independent] candidate for office
260	260	in an election where candidates are not nominated by primary
261	261	election, the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate's
262	262	application for a place on the ballot;
263	263	(C) for a write-in candidate, the date of the
264	264	election at which the candidate's name is written in;
265	265	(D) for a party nominee who is nominated by any
266	266	method other than by primary election, the date the nomination is
267	267	made; and
268	268	(E) for an appointee to an office, the date the
269	269	appointment is made;
270	270	(6) on the date described by Subdivision (5), be
271	271	registered to vote in the territory from which the office is
272	272	elected; and
273	273	(7) satisfy any other eligibility requirements
274	274	prescribed by law for the office.
275	275	SECTION 14. Subchapter A, Chapter 141, Election Code, is
276	276	amended by adding Sections 141.005 and 141.006 to read as follows:
277	277	Sec. 141.005. PRIMARY ELECTION REQUIRED. (a) Except as
278	278	otherwise provided by this code, candidates in the general election
279	279	for offices of state and county government and the United States
280	280	Congress must be chosen by primary election as provided by this
281	281	code.
282	282	(b) All eligible voters may vote in a primary election
283	283	described by this section without regard to political party
284	284	alignment.
285	285	(c) A political party or state executive committee may not
286	286	nominate candidates in the general election for offices of state
287	287	and county government and the United States Congress. This
288	288	subsection may not be interpreted to prohibit a political party or
289	289	state executive committee from endorsing, supporting, or opposing
290	290	those candidates.
291	291	(d) The secretary of state shall adopt rules to implement
292	292	this section.
293	293	Sec. 141.006. DETERMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR GENERAL
294	294	ELECTION. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code,
295	295	the two candidates who receive the highest and second highest
296	296	number of votes in a primary election held to choose candidates for
297	297	the general election for offices of state and county government and
298	298	the United States Congress are the candidates for that election.
299	299	(b) The secretary of state shall adopt rules to implement
300	300	this section.
301	301	SECTION 15. Subchapter B, Chapter 141, Election Code, is
302	302	amended by adding Section 141.030 to read as follows:
303	303	Sec. 141.030. APPLICATION REQUIRED. (a) To be entitled to
304	304	a place on the general primary election ballot under Section
305	305	141.005, a candidate must make an application for a place on the
306	306	ballot.
307	307	(b) An application must, in addition to complying with
308	308	Section 141.031, be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee or a
309	309	petition in lieu of the filing fee that satisfies the requirements
310	310	prescribed by Section 141.062.
311	311	(c) A candidate may indicate the candidate's party
312	312	affiliation or alignment, if any, on the application.
313	313	(d) An application filed by mail is considered to be filed
314	314	at the time of its receipt by the appropriate authority.
315	315	(e) The circulation of a petition to be filed under this
316	316	subchapter in connection with a candidate's application for a place
317	317	on the ballot does not constitute candidacy or an announcement of
318	318	candidacy for purposes of the automatic resignation provisions of
319	319	Section 65, Article XVI, or Section 11, Article XI, Texas
320	320	Constitution.
321	321	(f) A candidate for an office specified by Section
322	322	141.0315(a)(8), (10), or (12), or for justice of the peace in a
323	323	county with a population of more than 1.5 million, who chooses to
324	324	pay the filing fee must also accompany the application with a
325	325	petition for a place on the primary ballot as a candidate for
326	326	judicial office that complies with the requirements prescribed for
327	327	the petition authorized by Subsection (b), except that the minimum
328	328	number of signatures that must appear on the petition required by
329	329	this subsection is 250. If the candidate chooses to file the
330	330	petition authorized by Subsection (b) in lieu of the filing fee, the
331	331	minimum number of signatures required for that petition is
332	332	increased by 250. Signatures on a petition filed under this
333	333	subsection or Subsection (b) by a candidate covered by this
334	334	subsection may not be obtained on the grounds of a county courthouse
335	335	or courthouse annex.
336	336	(g) A candidate for the office of chief justice or justice,
337	337	supreme court, or presiding judge or judge, court of criminal
338	338	appeals, who chooses to pay the filing fee must also accompany the
339	339	application with a petition that complies with the requirements
340	340	prescribed for a petition authorized by Subsection (b), except that
341	341	the minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition
342	342	required by this subsection is 50 from each court of appeals
343	343	district.
344	344	SECTION 16. Section 172.024, Election Code, is transferred
345	345	to Subchapter B, Chapter 141, Election Code, and redesignated as
346	346	Section 141.0315, Election Code, to read as follows:
347	347	Sec. 141.0315 [172.024]. FILING FEE. (a) The filing fee
348	348	for a candidate for nomination in the general primary election is as
349	349	follows:
350	350	(1) United States senator$5,000
351	351	(2) office elected statewide, except United States
352	352	senator3,750
353	353	(3) United States representative3,125
354	354	(4) state senator1,250
355	355	(5) state representative750
356	356	(6) member, State Board of Education300
357	357	(7) chief justice or justice, court of appeals, other
358	358	than a justice specified by Subdivision (8)1,875
359	359	(8) chief justice or justice of a court of appeals that
360	360	serves a court of appeals district in which a county with a
361	361	population of more than 1.2 million is wholly or partly
362	362	situated2,500
363	363	(9) district judge or judge specified by Section
364	364	52.092(d) for which this schedule does not otherwise prescribe a
365	365	fee1,500
366	366	(10) district or criminal district judge of a court in
367	367	a judicial district wholly contained in a county with a population
368	368	of more than 1.5 million2,500
369	369	(11) judge, statutory county court, other than a judge
370	370	specified by Subdivision (12)1,500
371	371	(12) judge of a statutory county court in a county with
372	372	a population of more than 1.5 million2,500
373	373	(13) district attorney, criminal district attorney,
374	374	or county attorney performing the duties of a district
375	375	attorney1,250
376	376	(14) county commissioner, district clerk, county
377	377	clerk, sheriff, county tax assessor-collector, county treasurer,
378	378	or judge, constitutional county court:
379	379	(A) county with a population of 200,000 or
380	380	more1,250
381	381	(B) county with a population of under
382	382	200,000750
383	383	(15) justice of the peace or constable:
384	384	(A) county with a population of 200,000 or
385	385	more1,000
386	386	(B) county with a population of under
387	387	200,000375
388	388	(16) county surveyor75
389	389	(17) office of the county government for which this
390	390	schedule does not otherwise prescribe a fee750
391	391	(b) If a fee prescribed by Subsection (a) is declared
392	392	invalid by a final judgment of a court, the secretary of state shall
393	393	prescribe a filing fee consistent with the judgment to replace the
394	394	invalidated fee.
395	395	SECTION 17. Subchapter B, Chapter 141, Election Code, is
396	396	amended by adding Section 141.0316 to read as follows:
397	397	Sec. 141.0316. NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES REQUIRED. The
398	398	minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition
399	399	authorized by Section 141.030(b) is:
400	400	(1) 5,000, for a statewide office; or
401	401	(2) for a district, county, or precinct office, the
402	402	lesser of:
403	403	(A) 500; or
404	404	(B) two percent of the total vote received in the
405	405	district, county, or precinct, as applicable, by all the candidates
406	406	for governor in the most recent gubernatorial general election,
407	407	unless that number is under 50, in which case the required number of
408	408	signatures is the lesser of:
409	409	(i) 50; or
410	410	(ii) 20 percent of that total vote.
411	411	SECTION 18. Section 141.039, Election Code, is amended to
412	412	read as follows:
413	413	Sec. 141.039. OFFICIAL APPLICATION FORM. In addition to
414	414	the other statements and spaces for entering information that
415	415	appear on an officially prescribed form for an application for a
416	416	place on the ballot, each official form for an application that a
417	417	candidate is required to file under this code must include:
418	418	(1) a space for indicating the form in which the
419	419	candidate's name is to appear on the ballot;
420	420	(2) a space for the candidate's public mailing
421	421	address;
422	422	(3) spaces for the candidate's home and office
423	423	telephone numbers and e-mail address at which the candidate
424	424	receives correspondence relating to the candidate's campaign;
425	425	(4) a statement informing candidates that the
426	426	furnishing of the telephone numbers is optional;
427	427	(5) a statement informing candidates that knowingly
428	428	providing false information on the application under Section
429	429	141.031(a)(4)(G) constitutes a Class B misdemeanor; [and]
430	430	(6) a statement informing candidates that a candidate
431	431	who indicates under Section 141.031(a)(4)(G) that the candidate has
432	432	been convicted of a felony must comply with the requirements of
433	433	Section 141.031(a-1); and
434	434	(7) in an election where nominating partisan
435	435	candidates is authorized, space for the candidate to list a party
436	436	affiliation.
437	437	SECTION 19. Section 141.070(a), Election Code, is amended
438	438	to read as follows:
439	439	(a) If, since the most recent presidential [gubernatorial]
440	440	general election, a district or precinct from which an officer of
441	441	the federal, state, or county government is elected is created or
442	442	has had its boundary changed, the number of votes received in the
443	443	district or precinct by a political party's presidential
444	444	[gubernatorial] candidate or by all the presidential
445	445	[gubernatorial] candidates shall be estimated, as provided by this
446	446	section, for the purpose of computing the number of signatures
447	447	required on a candidate's petition.
448	448	SECTION 20. Section 145.001(e), Election Code, is amended
449	449	to read as follows:
450	450	(e) This section does not apply to a candidate:
451	451	(1) for president or vice-president of the United
452	452	States; or
453	453	(2) chosen by general primary election.
454	454	SECTION 21. Sections 145.003(b) and (h), Election Code, are
455	455	amended to read as follows:
456	456	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (f-1), a candidate in
457	457	the general election for state and county officers may be declared
458	458	ineligible before the 30th day preceding election day by[:
459	459	[(1) the party officer responsible for certifying the
460	460	candidate's name for placement on the general election ballot, in
461	461	the case of a candidate who is a political party's nominee;
462	462	[(2)] the authority with whom the candidate's
463	463	application for a place on the ballot is required to be filed[, in
464	464	the case of an independent candidate;] or
465	465	[(3)] the secretary of state, if the candidate is
466	466	ineligible under Subsection (f)(3).
467	467	(h) If a candidate is declared ineligible [after the
468	468	deadline for omitting an ineligible candidate's name from the
469	469	ballot], the authority making the declaration shall promptly
470	470	certify in writing the declaration of ineligibility to the
471	471	canvassing authority for the election.
472	472	SECTION 22. The heading to Subchapter D, Chapter 145,
473	473	Election Code, is amended to read as follows:
474	474	SUBCHAPTER D. CANDIDATE IN ELECTION IN WHICH CANDIDATES ARE NOT
475	475	CHOSEN BY [OTHER THAN] GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION [FOR STATE AND
476	476	COUNTY OFFICERS]
477	477	SECTION 23. Section 146.0231(a), Election Code, is amended
478	478	to read as follows:
479	479	(a) The filing fee for a write-in candidate is the amount
480	480	prescribed by Section 141.0315 [172.024] for a candidate [for
481	481	nomination] for the same office in a general primary election.
482	482	SECTION 24. Section 146.0232, Election Code, is amended to
483	483	read as follows:
484	484	Sec. 146.0232. NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES REQUIRED. The
485	485	minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition
486	486	authorized by Section 146.023(b) is the number prescribed by
487	487	Section 141.0316 [172.025] to appear on a petition of a candidate
488	488	[for nomination] for the same office in a general primary election.
489	489	SECTION 25. Chapter 161, Election Code, is amended by
490	490	adding Section 161.0035 to read as follows:
491	491	Sec. 161.0035. PARTY PRIMARY ELECTIONS. In this title, any
492	492	reference to a general primary election, primary election, or
493	493	nominating convention means an election or convention restricted to
494	494	the selection of:
495	495	(1) party officers; or
496	496	(2) a party's nominees for president or
497	497	vice-president.
498	498	SECTION 26. Section 163.006(d), Election Code, is amended
499	499	to read as follows:
500	500	(d) Before January 15 of each year in which political
501	501	parties hold precinct conventions under this title, the secretary
502	502	of state shall deliver written notice of the requirements of this
503	503	section to the state chair of each party that had a nominee for
504	504	president or vice-president [a statewide or district office] on the
505	505	most recent general election ballot.
506	506	SECTION 27. The heading to Subtitle B, Title 10, Election
507	507	Code, is amended to read as follows:
508	508	SUBTITLE B. PARTIES SELECTING PARTY OFFICERS [NOMINATING] BY
509	509	PRIMARY ELECTION
510	510	SECTION 28. Section 172.002(c), Election Code, is amended
511	511	to read as follows:
512	512	(c) For a political party to be entitled to hold a primary
513	513	election [under this section], the state chair, not later than one
514	514	year before general election day, must deliver written notice to
515	515	the secretary of state that the party will hold a primary election
516	516	in the general election year.
517	517	SECTION 29. Section 172.021(e), Election Code, is amended
518	518	to read as follows:
519	519	(e) A candidate for an office specified by Section
520	520	141.0315(a)(8) [172.024(a)(8)], (10), or (12), or for justice of
521	521	the peace in a county with a population of more than 1.5 million,
522	522	who chooses to pay the filing fee must also accompany the
523	523	application with a petition for a place on the primary ballot as a
524	524	candidate for judicial office that complies with the requirements
525	525	prescribed for the petition authorized by Subsection (b), except
526	526	that the minimum number of signatures that must appear on the
527	527	petition required by this subsection is 250. If the candidate
528	528	chooses to file the petition authorized by Subsection (b) in lieu of
529	529	the filing fee, the minimum number of signatures required for that
530	530	petition is increased by 250. Signatures on a petition filed under
531	531	this subsection or Subsection (b) by a candidate covered by this
532	532	subsection may not be obtained on the grounds of a county courthouse
533	533	or courthouse annex.
534	534	SECTION 30. Section 172.061(a), Election Code, is amended
535	535	to read as follows:
536	536	(a) Except for Section [Sections 172.058(b),] 172.059(c),
537	537	[and 172.060(b),] this subchapter applies to a candidate for county
538	538	chair or precinct chair.
539	539	SECTION 31. Section 172.088(e), Election Code, is amended
540	540	to read as follows:
541	541	(e) The minimum number of signatures that must appear on the
542	542	petition is five percent of the total vote received by all
543	543	candidates for president [governor] in the party's most recent
544	544	presidential [gubernatorial] general primary election.
545	545	SECTION 32. Section 172.089, Election Code, is amended to
546	546	read as follows:
547	547	Sec. 172.089. ORDER OF PARTY OFFICES ON BALLOT. The party
548	548	offices of county chair and precinct chair shall be listed on the
549	549	primary election ballot after the candidates for the presidential
550	550	and vice-presidential nomination [public offices] with the office
551	551	of county chair listed first.
552	552	SECTION 33. Section 172.112, Election Code, is amended to
553	553	read as follows:
554	554	Sec. 172.112. WRITE-IN VOTING. Write-in voting in a
555	555	primary election is [not] permitted only for the offices of county
556	556	chair and precinct chair.
557	557	SECTION 34. Section 172.126(b), Election Code, is amended
558	558	to read as follows:
559	559	(b) The county clerk shall determine whether to consolidate
560	560	election precincts under Section 42.009 and shall designate the
561	561	location of the polling place in a consolidated precinct. To the
562	562	extent possible, a polling place shall be designated that will
563	563	accommodate the precinct conventions of each political party. [If a
564	564	polling place, whether for a regular or consolidated precinct, is
565	565	not suitable for more than one precinct convention, the polling
566	566	place may be used by the party whose candidate for governor received
567	567	the most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial
568	568	general election.]
569	569	SECTION 35. Section 173.083(d), Election Code, is amended
570	570	to read as follows:
571	571	(d) The final installment may not be paid until a report is
572	572	filed in compliance with Section 173.084 [and, in the case of a
573	573	county chair, a report is also filed in compliance with Section
574	574	172.124]. On the filing of the report, the secretary of state shall
575	575	calculate the amount of the final installment and prepare and
576	576	deliver to the comptroller of public accounts a certified statement
577	577	indicating that amount and the appropriate county or state chair's
578	578	name.
579	579	SECTION 36. Section 191.001, Election Code, is amended to
580	580	read as follows:
581	581	Sec. 191.001. PARTIES REQUIRED TO HOLD PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
582	582	ELECTION. To be entitled to have its nominees for president and
583	583	vice-president of the United States placed on the general election
584	584	ballot in a particular presidential election year, a political
585	585	party must hold a presidential primary election in this state if:
586	586	(1) [in the presidential election year, the party is
587	587	required by this code to nominate its candidates for state and
588	588	county offices by primary election;
589	589	[(2)] a presidential primary election is authorized
590	590	under national party rules; and
591	591	(2) [(3)] before January 1 of the presidential
592	592	election year, the national party has determined that it will hold a
593	593	national presidential nominating convention that year.
594	594	SECTION 37. The heading to Section 191.031, Election Code,
595	595	is amended to read as follows:
596	596	Sec. 191.031. NATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CONVENTION
597	597	[PARTY HOLDING PRIMARY ELECTION].
598	598	SECTION 38. Sections 191.031(a) and (b), Election Code, are
599	599	amended to read as follows:
600	600	(a) If a political party [holding a primary election in a
601	601	presidential election year] desires to send delegates to a national
602	602	presidential nominating convention of the party, the party shall
603	603	select the delegates at a state convention convened on a date
604	604	adopted by the state executive committee occurring in the
605	605	presidential election year. [Before the date of the party's
606	606	precinct conventions held under Chapter 174, the party's state
607	607	executive committee shall choose the date, hour, and place for the
608	608	state convention.]
609	609	(b) The state convention shall consist of delegates
610	610	selected at the party's county and senatorial district conventions
611	611	[held under Chapter 174].
612	612	SECTION 39. Section 202.004(a), Election Code, is amended
613	613	to read as follows:
614	614	(a) A candidate [political party's nominee] for an
615	615	unexpired term must be chosen [nominated] by primary election if[:
616	616	[(1) the political party is making nominations by
617	617	primary election for the general election in which the vacancy is to
618	618	be filled; and
619	619	[(2)] the vacancy occurs on or before the fifth day
620	620	before the date of the regular deadline for candidates to file
621	621	applications for a place on the general primary ballot.
622	622	SECTION 40. Section 203.005(b), Election Code, is amended
623	623	to read as follows:
624	624	(b) An application must, in addition to complying with
625	625	Section 141.031:
626	626	(1) state the political party with which the candidate
627	627	is aligned or, if the candidate is not aligned with a party, state
628	628	that fact; and
629	629	(2) be accompanied by:
630	630	(A) a filing fee in the amount prescribed by
631	631	Section 141.0315 [172.024] for a candidate for [nomination for] the
632	632	same office in a general primary election; or
633	633	(B) a petition that satisfies the requirements
634	634	prescribed by Section 141.062.
635	635	SECTION 41. Section 257.005(a), Election Code, is amended
636	636	to read as follows:
637	637	(a) Except as provided by this section, the following are
638	638	subject to the requirements of this title that apply to a candidate
639	639	for public office:
640	640	(1) a candidate for state chair of a political party
641	641	with an affiliated candidate [a nominee] on the ballot in the most
642	642	recent gubernatorial general election; and
643	643	(2) a candidate for election to the office of county
644	644	chair of a political party with an affiliated candidate [a nominee]
645	645	on the ballot in the most recent gubernatorial general election if
646	646	the county has a population of 350,000 or more.
647	647	SECTION 42. The following provisions are repealed:
648	648	(1) Subtitle C, Title 10, Election Code;
649	649	(2) Chapter 142, Election Code;
650	650	(3) Subchapters B and C, Chapter 145, Election Code;
651	651	(4) Sections 161.008, 162.015, 162.016, 172.001,
652	652	172.117, 172.121, 172.122, 172.123, 172.124, 191.032, 202.005,
653	653	202.006, 202.007, 204.004, and 232.046, Election Code;
654	654	(5) Sections 171.054(e), 172.002(a), 172.058(b), and
655	655	172.060(b), Election Code; and
656	656	(6) Section 572.027(d), Government Code.
657	657	SECTION 43. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.