HBA-RBT, RBT, MAJ H.B. 927 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 927 By: Junell Elections 4/12/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, presiding and alternate judges must be from different political parties. The process calls for the county chair of a party whose political candidate for governor received the highest or second highest number of votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election to submit in writing to the commissioner's court a list of names of persons for appointment as an election judge. The commissioner's court shall appoint the first person meeting the applicable eligibility requirements from the list submitted. Smaller counties have a limited number of people to fill the election judges position. H.B. 927 exempts the counties with populations of 20,000 or less from the requirement that the election judge must be affiliated with different political parties. This bill requires the county clerk to recommend a presiding judge and an alternate for each precinct and submit a list of the recommendations to the commissioners court. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 32.002, Election Code, by amending Subsections (c) - (e) and adding Subsections (f) and (g), as follows: (c) Adds an exception under Subsection (f) to the provision that the presiding and alternate presiding election judge must be affiliated or aligned with different political parties. Makes a conforming change. (d) Makes no change to this subdivision. (e) Adds an exception under Subsection (f) to the requirement that no later than 48 hours after the county clerk becomes aware of a vacancy in the position of election judge, the county clerk shall notify the county chair of the same political party with which the original judge was affiliated or aligned of the vacancy. (f) Requires the county clerk in a county with a population of 20,000 or less to recommend a presiding judge and alternate judge for each precinct. Requires the clerk to submit a list of the recommendations to the commissioners court. Requires the clerk to recommend an appointee for each unexpired term. Requires the court to consider the clerk's recommendation before making an appointment. (g) Redesignated from existing Subsection (e). SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.