Bill Text: TX HB2953 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the service of a poll watcher in an election.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2953 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB2953-Introduced.html
84R9138 GRM-F | ||
By: Schofield | H.B. No. 2953 |
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relating to the service of a poll watcher in an election. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 33.006(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) A certificate of appointment must: | ||
(1) be in writing and signed by the appointing | ||
authority or, for an appointment for a write-in candidate under | ||
Section 33.004, by each of the voters making the appointment; | ||
(2) indicate the capacity in which the appointing | ||
authority is acting; | ||
(3) state the name, residence address, and voter | ||
registration number of the appointee and be signed by the | ||
appointee; | ||
(4) identify the election and the precinct polling | ||
place or other location at which the appointee is to serve; and | ||
(5) in an election on a measure, identify the measure | ||
if more than one is to be voted on and state which side of the | ||
measure the appointee represents[ |
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SECTION 2. Section 33.035, Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 33.035. INELIGIBILITY OF PERSON CONVICTED OF CERTAIN | ||
OFFENSES [ |
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watcher in an election if the person has been finally convicted of: | ||
(1) a felony; or | ||
(2) an offense in connection with conduct directly | ||
attributable to an election. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 33.052, Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 33.052. HOURS OF SERVICE AT PRECINCT POLLING PLACE. | ||
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any time after the presiding judge arrives at the polling place on | ||
election day and may remain at the polling place until the presiding | ||
judge and the clerks complete their duties there. A watcher [ |
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place during the hours the watcher chooses, except that if the | ||
watcher is present at the polling place when ballots are counted, | ||
the watcher may not leave until the counting is complete. | ||
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SECTION 4. Section 33.057, Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 33.057. OBSERVING PREPARATION OF VOTER'S BALLOT. (a) | ||
A watcher is entitled to be present at the voting station when a | ||
voter is being assisted by an election officer or by a person of the | ||
voter's choice, and the watcher is entitled to examine the ballot | ||
before it is deposited in the ballot box to determine whether it is | ||
prepared in accordance with the voter's wishes. | ||
(b) A watcher may not be present at the voting station when a | ||
voter is preparing the voter's ballot [ |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.014(d), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(d) This section does not apply to: | ||
(1) an election officer in conducting the officer's | ||
official duties; | ||
(2) the use of election equipment necessary for the | ||
conduct of the election; [ |
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(3) a person who is employed at the location in which a | ||
polling place is located while the person is acting in the course of | ||
the person's employment; or | ||
(4) a poll watcher who, for the purpose of reporting an | ||
irregularity or violation of law relating to the election, is | ||
contacting the authority holding the election, the secretary of | ||
state, the attorney general, or a law enforcement officer. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 33.051(c), Election Code, is repealed. | ||
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |