Bill Text: TX HB4396 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the members on a signature verification committee.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-21 - Referred to Elections [HB4396 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4396-Introduced.html
88R13394 MLH-F | ||
By: Hayes | H.B. No. 4396 |
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relating to the members on a signature verification committee. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsections (a), (d), and (e) and adding Subsections | ||
(a-2), (a-3), (d-1), (d-2), (n), and (o) to read as follows: | ||
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a signature | ||
verification committee may be appointed in any election. In an | ||
election other than a primary election or runoff primary election, | ||
the [ |
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determining whether a signature verification committee is to be | ||
appointed. In a primary election or runoff primary election, the | ||
county chair of a political party is the authority responsible for | ||
determining whether a signature verification committee is to be | ||
appointed. | ||
(a-2) If the early voting clerk determines under Subsection | ||
(a) that a signature verification committee is to be appointed for | ||
an election other than a primary election or runoff primary | ||
election, the clerk shall issue a written order calling for the | ||
appointment not later than the 32nd day before the date of the | ||
election. | ||
(a-3) If the county chair of a political party determines | ||
under Subsection (a) that a signature verification committee is to | ||
be appointed for a primary election or a runoff primary election, | ||
the county chair shall issue a written order calling for the | ||
appointment not later than the 32nd day before the date of the | ||
election. | ||
(d) The early voting clerk shall determine the total number | ||
of members who are to compose the signature verification committee | ||
and shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's | ||
appointment. A committee must have an odd number of members | ||
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election in which party alignment is indicated on the ballot, each | ||
county chair of a political party with a nominee or aligned | ||
candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing authority a | ||
list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature | ||
verification committee in order of the county chair's | ||
preference. Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), the [ |
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authority shall appoint at least two persons from each list in the | ||
order of preference indicated on each list to serve as members of | ||
the committee. The same number of members must be appointed from | ||
each list. | ||
(d-1) In addition to the other members of the committee | ||
appointed from the political party whose nominee for governor | ||
received the most votes in the county in the most recent | ||
gubernatorial general election, the [ |
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as chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on the list | ||
provided by that [ |
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(d-2) The authority shall appoint as vice chair of the | ||
committee the highest-ranked person appointed to the committee from | ||
[ |
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governor received the second most votes in the county in the most | ||
recent gubernatorial general election. A vacancy on the committee | ||
shall be filled by appointment from the original list or from a new | ||
list submitted by the appropriate county chair. | ||
(e) To be eligible to serve on a signature verification | ||
committee, a person must not be a member of an early voting ballot | ||
board, and must be eligible under Subchapter C, Chapter 32, for | ||
service as a presiding election judge, except that the person must | ||
be a qualified voter: | ||
(1) of the county, in a countywide election ordered by | ||
the governor or a county authority or in a primary election; | ||
(2) of the part of the county in which the election is | ||
held, for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority | ||
that does not cover the entire county of the person's residence; or | ||
(3) of the political subdivision, in an election | ||
ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a | ||
county. | ||
(n) Before performing any duties as a member of a signature | ||
verification committee, a member shall take the following oath, | ||
administered by the authority responsible for appointing the | ||
members of the committee: "I swear (or affirm) that I will | ||
objectively work to ensure each eligible voter's vote is accepted | ||
and counted, and that only ballots not in compliance with the Texas | ||
Election Code are rejected; I will make every effort to correctly | ||
reflect the intent of a voter when it can be clearly determined; I | ||
will not serve alone at any time when ballots are present, and will | ||
only serve in the presence of a member of a political party | ||
different from my own; I will faithfully perform my duty as an | ||
officer of the election, and will guard the purity of the election." | ||
(o) After each member takes the oath under Subsection (n), | ||
the authority responsible for appointing the members of the | ||
signature verification committee shall issue to each member a form | ||
of identification prescribed by the secretary of state, which the | ||
member must display at all times during the member's service on the | ||
committee. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |