ELECTION CODE

TITLE 16. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

CHAPTER 271. JOINT ELECTIONS

Sec. 271.001.  APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PARTS OF CODE.  The other titles of this code apply to a joint election except provisions that are inconsistent with this chapter or that cannot feasibly be applied to a joint election.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.002.  JOINT ELECTIONS AUTHORIZED.  (a)  If the elections ordered by the authorities of two or more political subdivisions are to be held on the same day in all or part of the same county, the governing bodies of the political subdivisions may enter into an agreement to hold the elections jointly in the election precincts that can be served by common polling places, subject to Section 271.003.
(b)  If an election ordered by the governor and the elections ordered by the authorities of one or more political subdivisions are to be held on the same day in all or part of the same county, the commissioners court of a county in which the election ordered by the governor is to be held and the governing bodies of the other political subdivisions may enter into an agreement to hold the elections jointly in the election precincts that can be served by common polling places, subject to Section 271.003.
(c)  If another law requires two or more political subdivisions to hold a joint election, the governing body of any other political subdivision holding an election on the same day in all or part of the same county in which the joint election is to be held may enter into an agreement to participate in the joint election with the governing bodies of the political subdivisions holding the joint election.
(d)  The terms of a joint election agreement must be stated in an order, resolution, or other official action adopted by the governing body of each participating political subdivision.
(e)  The document containing the joint election agreement shall be preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election records.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.
Amended by: 
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1235 (S.B. 1970), Sec. 24, eff. September 1, 2009.

Sec. 271.003.  LOCATION OF COMMON POLLING PLACE.  (a)  A regular county polling place may be used for a common polling place in a joint election.
(b)  The voters of a particular election precinct or political subdivision may be served in a joint election by a common polling place located outside the boundary of the election precinct or political subdivision if the location can adequately and conveniently serve the affected voters and will facilitate the orderly conduct of the election.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1350, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Sec. 271.004.  ALLOCATION OF ELECTION EXPENSES.  The expenses of a joint election are allocated as provided by the joint election agreement.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.005.  ELECTION OFFICERS.  (a)  An election officer for a joint election may be appointed to serve more than one of the participating political subdivisions.
(b)  A person who is eligible to serve as an election officer in an election of any participating political subdivision is eligible to serve in the same office in a joint election.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.006.  EARLY VOTING.  (a)  The governing bodies of the political subdivisions participating in a joint election shall decide whether to conduct their early voting jointly.  The governing bodies that decide to conduct joint early voting shall appoint one of their early voting clerks as the early voting clerk for the joint early voting.
(b)  The joint early voting shall be conducted at the early voting polling place or places at which and during the hours, including any extended or weekend hours, that the early voting clerk regularly conducts early voting for the clerk's political subdivision.
(c)  The regular early voting clerk for each political subdivision participating in the joint early voting shall receive applications for early voting ballots to be voted by mail in accordance with Title 7. The remaining procedures for conducting the political subdivision's early voting by mail shall be completed by the regular early voting clerk or by the early voting clerk for the joint early voting, at the discretion of the governing body of each political subdivision participating in the joint early voting.
(d)  If a governing body decides not to participate in the joint early voting, the early voting for that political subdivision shall be conducted in accordance with Title 7, except that the early voting may be conducted at common polling places.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 2.72;  Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 43, eff. Sept. 1, 1991;  Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 728, Sec. 77, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Sec. 271.007.  BALLOT.  A single ballot containing all the offices or propositions stating measures to be voted on at a particular polling place may be used in a joint election.  A voter may not be permitted to select a ballot containing an office or proposition stating a measure on which the voter is ineligible to vote.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.0071.  MULTIPLE METHODS OF VOTING ALLOWED.  The restrictions on multiple methods of voting at the same polling place or in early voting prescribed by Sections 123.005-123.007 do not apply to a joint election as if the joint election were a single election but rather apply independently to the election of each participating political subdivision in the joint election.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 72, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Sec. 271.008.  BALLOT BOXES.  (a)  One set of ballot boxes may be used at a common polling place in a joint election for the deposit of all the ballots for each of the participating political subdivisions.
(b)  If the voted ballots for more than one political subdivision participating in a joint election are deposited in a single ballot box after they are counted, the custodian of the key to the ballot box for voted ballots for elections ordered by an authority of any one of the participating political subdivisions may be appointed as the custodian of the key to that box.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.009.  COMBINING ELECTION FORMS AND RECORDS.  The forms used and records maintained at a common polling place in a joint election may be combined in any manner convenient and adequate to record and report the results of the election for each of the participating political subdivisions.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.010.  CUSTODIAN OF ELECTION RECORDS.  The general custodian of election records for elections ordered by an authority of any one of the political subdivisions participating in a joint election may be appointed as the general custodian of election records for the joint election if:
(1)  the election records for a common polling place are combined;  or
(2)  the ballots for more than one of the participating political subdivisions are deposited by the voters in a single ballot box.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.011.  CANVASS.  (a)  The authority responsible for canvassing the precinct returns for the elections of one of the political subdivisions participating in a joint election may be designated to canvass the returns for one or more of the other participating political subdivisions.
(b)  If elections are jointly canvassed, the presiding officer of the joint canvassing authority shall deliver the appropriate part of the tabulation of the precinct results to each of the presiding officers of the canvassing authorities designated by law for the elections of the participating political subdivisions.  Each tabulation shall then be processed in the same manner as for an election not canvassed jointly.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.012.  CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION.  The presiding officer of the canvassing authority that regularly serves a particular political subdivision shall issue certificates of election to candidates elected at the joint election to offices of the political subdivision.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.013.  COMPENSATION OF JUDGES AND CLERKS.  (a)  Except as provided by this section, compensation for election officers serving at a common polling place in a joint election is the same as that paid to election officers serving at a regular polling place.
(b)  If the election records, keys, and supplies for a common polling place are to be delivered to different places for two or more participating political subdivisions:
(1)  compensation may be paid in the amount prescribed by this code for delivery, multiplied by the number of participating political subdivisions for which delivery is made to different locations;  and
(2)  compensation may be paid to one election officer appointed to make the delivery or allocated evenly among the election officers who make the delivery.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 271.014.  CONFLICTS WITH OTHER LAW.  A law outside this code pertaining to a joint election supersedes this chapter to the extent of any conflict.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.