| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the territory that may be included in a single county |
|
|
election precinct. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Sections 42.0051(a) and (d), Election Code, are |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) A [If changes in county election precinct boundaries to
|
|
|
give effect to a redistricting plan result in county election
|
|
|
precincts with a number of registered voters less than 500, a] |
|
|
commissioners court for a general or special election[,] or, for a |
|
|
primary election, the county executive committee of a political |
|
|
party conducting a primary election, may combine county election |
|
|
precincts notwithstanding Section 42.005 to avoid unreasonable |
|
|
expenditures for election equipment, supplies, and personnel in: |
|
|
(1) a county with a population of less than 250,000 if |
|
|
the precinct has less than 500 registered voters; or |
|
|
(2) a county with a population of 250,000 or more |
|
|
regardless of the number of registered voters in the precinct. |
|
|
(d) A combined precinct may not be established if it: |
|
|
(1) results in a dilution of voting strength of a group |
|
|
covered by the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c et |
|
|
seq.); |
|
|
(2) results in a dilution of representation of a group |
|
|
covered by the Voting Rights Act in any political or electoral |
|
|
process or procedure; [or] |
|
|
(3) results in discouraging participation by a group |
|
|
covered by the Voting Rights Act in any political or electoral |
|
|
process or procedure because of the location of a polling place or |
|
|
other factors; or |
|
|
(4) contains a county election precinct with at least |
|
|
500 registered voters but less than 750 registered voters and: |
|
|
(A) the location of the polling place for the |
|
|
combined precinct is different from the location used for the |
|
|
county election precinct in the preceding election ordered by the |
|
|
same authority; and |
|
|
(B) the polling place used for the county |
|
|
election precinct in the preceding election ordered by the same |
|
|
authority: |
|
|
(i) is available to be used as a polling |
|
|
place; and |
|
|
(ii) complies with the accessibility |
|
|
requirements established by Sections 43.034 and 61.012. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 42.0051(b), Election Code, is repealed. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |