Bill Text: MS HB461 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Election Integrity Assurance Committee; authorize to conduct primary elections under certain circumstances and prohibit from receiving any compensation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - Died In Committee [HB461 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2022-HB461-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2022 Regular Session

To: Apportionment and Elections

By: Representative Blackmon

House Bill 461

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-271, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT AN ELECTION INTEGRITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT A PRIMARY ELECTION IF THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FAIL TO PERFORM ITS DUTIES; TO PROVIDE THAT NO MEMBER OF AN ELECTION INTEGRITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE SHALL RECEIVE ANY COMPENSATION, IN-KIND DONATIONS, GIFTS OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT FOR CONDUCTING ANY REQUIRED TRAINING OR FOR CONDUCTING THE PRIMARY ELECTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 23-15-271, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     23-15-271.  (1)  The state executive committee of any political party authorized to conduct political party primaries shall form an election integrity assurance committee for each congressional district.  The state executive committee shall appoint three (3) of its members to each congressional district election integrity assurance committee.  The members so appointed shall be residents of the congressional district for which the election integrity assurance committee is formed.  The state executive committee shall name a chair and a secretary from among the members of each committee.  The state executive committee shall provide to each circuit and municipal clerk a list of the members of the congressional district integrity assurance committee for the congressional district in which the county or municipality of the clerk is located.

     (2)  If within sixty (60) days of an election, a county executive committee or a municipal executive committee fails to attend training or perform in a timely manner any of the duties specified in Sections 23-15-239, 23-15-265, 23-15-267, 23-15-333, 23-15-335 and 23-15-597 and there is no written agreement in place between the county or municipal executive committee and the county or municipal election commission or the circuit or municipal clerk pursuant to such sections, or there is such an agreement in place and it is not being executed, the circuit or municipal clerk shall notify the chair and secretary of the congressional district election integrity assurance committee or the chair of the state executive committee of such failure and call upon them to take immediate and appropriate action to ensure that such duties are performed in order to secure the orderly conduct of the primary.  Upon receiving the notice, the election integrity assurance committee shall be responsible for conducting any required training and shall be authorized to * * *contract on behalf of the county or municipal executive committee with the county or municipal election commission or the circuit or municipal clerk for the conduct * * *of the primary election.  No member of an election integrity assurance committee shall receive any compensation, in-kind donations, gifts or any other form of payment for conducting any required training or for conducting the primary election.

 * * * (3)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the state executive committee or a congressional district election assurance committee to conduct primaries.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.

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