Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
fimmrable Arnold 3mlt.h fiomrable Arnold 3mlt.h
county Attorney County Attorney
ucntgo3wy County ucntgo3wy County
conrau , T~-e%m conrau , T~-e%m
Dear slrt Dear slrt opplafoa HO. o- o- opplafoa HO.
Fiec Whether a Fiec Whether a Reodpt iieodpt your reoent your reoent let- let- ir l.r . . we quote frozi We quote froze
ter requetting oplai ter requetting oplai follova your luttor Bo follova your luttor Bo
on ttla ballot Hwbur ,rat.&r than Iumber. la SW Hunlbur 18 tlm a&me 2. A8 for example, alaat Aumbur One end Willie tiau Freslnot maber One. ao quertloa but v&t the !knn thir vealnot has baca du- w6i6 ir tru0 or hfitgorsry, em 1s JAseticuA Prscinat Hulnber Four and 18 ulso lo- oated La Jwtlas PreoiDat IIuder Four. Thlr VLU true of five (5) Oaaoitteemen eleoted throughout the county. lhe;r name8 vent oa tbu ballot at Coemlttcemen fron their proper XLoction Praolnoti. Hovover, in mast iaatance,r Justtoe Frualaat *2 I Eotioreble Arnold Smith, page 2
i
Humbcrr dld not oorreepond vith the Al&ion Pra- cfnct Xhambur8. C~nrw it oacpoaed of tvo (2) Election Preolnata, Humbert Ten and Tventy, mu- pot ively. Conroe it looated in Juatloe rreciuot Numb8r seven. There vas only one u&me prlnted on the tmllot for Comae. Thia name vent on the ballot ae Cuveitteeman for Precinct Uumber 4evdu.
iileotion Preolmt &even happena to be Xev Cmey snd not conro%. The quoation bee arleen et to vhcthcr three men rho veru purportedly elected, tteZr name having been plaoad w the ballot under Justice Precinct ltumbera ratlmr than Gleotion Pre- cinct Zlumbere, can validly hold a8 CO5IIitteemA.
‘As aeen froa the statement of fncta above, there vere no proms candidate6 6uba;lttab to the voterr in tvelva Il2) of the tventf (20) Zlootlon Preoinota in thir aountg. 1 illumtroie thle point Justice Preainct Uumbor One iiontgom- aa follovrr r it composed of tvo (2) Election cry Couuty, Texas, t Prec:ncta, Wlllia and YcEae. Willie la Electlm Prectact Aumber Oae and AoiLse it Eleotim Fm- t cinot #umber Eight. In ~re~tri~y tne bllGt , l.?xxeautive Ctittee aubrulttod the n&w of the ! caadidate for Conarltteeman U ~CorrPPltteomen for Freclmt HILaLwr one.’ Thle ballot vae ueed In , both Ylllia und t%Ree. There vat only one caodi-
date ror thla aftion Md he of uourse received prectiocrllg al r of the CIotea ln both Wlllla nnd kl?ae. Hovever, there we no ceadidate rcal,ding ln XaRae for thin poaltlon uad the grecutlve Con- mittee railed to euhmlt 0 brllot Ocmmftteemn for Precrinot Eight voters of &FIae. It 18, ny uaderatandhig that thio should have been done even thou@ no eaadidata filed for tblr poei- tion. The ballot ahould have bean prepared in such a vay thnt the voter6 of thla Election Prc- la vhora they chose. I clnct oould have vrltten Thle oon- merely used Freoinat One as ID. exeqle.
dition vat true throughout the OOunty.
n (I . . . .
In conneotiou vlth the above atatsments you then aub- tit the foll0Ving pueatlona :
jmiorablc Arnold Anith, p8~4 “1. can 8 oanQldatu r o r l p os1t10n on ?A4
Ex.ecutlve Coziualttes be eleoted to office vhsn said cendldate's nam gods upon brllot und4r a~) la- proper Precinct Xuab4rO
O2. 11 a oondldate for suah poaitlou duly and prcperll sleot4Q vhsn amid orndldate 1s voted upon bl the voter4 of ELOC~ then one eleatlon prs- olnct, although swl ouldldatc'r naae ua4 rubalt- ted by ballot undsr the proper Pr4Cinot Xumb4r? =3. Vould th4 purportrd County Executive
coanlttee ooiq.1or4d 0r m0mb4ra lure then a asjor- lty b4osw4 of the irot th8t a full cmmnlttoe had LU)VI~ 4xlrts6, hmm the authority to fill moan- oiee on tuch cormltt4aP In the avant that tha purported Exixeou- '4.
tits ColPmittse ir vithout uthorltr to fill euch vao&ncl4c, uould the County Conventlm be suthor- iced to 04rtltJ mm44 of member8 for eleotloa pzl4- cincta vtors no mumbcr had been elaoted by th4 votarr of woh preoinot?'
slnos your Slrrt tvo qu4rtlone ar4 so clorsly ro&t- It app4mrr th6t th4r4 4r4 4d they vi11 be trtsted togtther. juatlcs pmolnctr in thr oounty, th, ~x+mum llousd 41&t under the Conxtltutlon, and that there vere one or more O~LIU- datss for e&cctlon prsoinot ohai.~mm fro!a each of ruoh Jurtlee preolzctn.,J In five of three elsotfon preol.nct.4, the 414otion prrsoinot number oorreepomle vlth th4 Jwtloe prsoinct numh4r la ul;lch tuoh eleot?on preolnctr 4r4 looated. LI0~4v4r, in there la no sleotlon three of the sight pre- justloo preeinctr c111ot with nunberr oorrerpondlng to tha jwtlcr in prsalnote v%cl: auoh el4otlon preainotr are loo&ted. Sin04 them ar4 ther4 mnnln twelve 616otlon 0-1~ c~&ht justlo ppeainots, Frt3cinct8 with number4 not oorr4rpondlng to any $l4t104 pm- cinct number, them being twenty 414atloii precincts.
Artha 3118, R. c. S. or 1925, ~COVM~I there rhell ba for @oh pplltioal party requlrsd by lru hold prl- psry cleotlon~ r0r nomln6tlon of it8 candidrt4r, e county executlwe ooziaxlti44, to b4 ooapoa4d or 0 oounty ch8lrmaq 8nd one rcmixr fror;r caoh sleotlon praeinat. !Ph4 proclmt oamaitt4e- min ah911 act em ch6imen 0r hlr 414otion preolnot, all com- nittemun to be slecttd on g4nerU prim6ry election d&y *4 : Eonorabl4 Arnold Smith, p4g4
by the quallflsd votw8, and th4 oounty ohMman by th4 quall- fled voter@ of tha oounty, and th4 pr6olnot chalrmn by
rtsllfled votsre of th4ir r4ap4etlvr 414otlon pr4olncts. Th4 lrt Icls furth4r provld4a that1
'ARJ vaeanay in th4 offlc4 of ahairman, ooun- ty or 4olnct, or ~LW m4mb4r of rush cosnsItt44 @hall 4 r111.e by a majority rot4 or raid 4UOU- r
trve CaQmltt44:
In th4 44rly 44m4 of State 4x rel Eertcrday v. -4, 44 II. W. 874, by tb4 Suprrm Court of Nebraska, the relator 4as a candidate for Just104 OS the Peace for tha 3rd District.
m candidate reelded In the 3rd Mstrlct and was vot4d upon by the pople of th4 3rd Dletrlct. In some of the polling placct In ths 3rd Dlrtrlct the candfdate*s nsm4 ~4s plaosd on al the Peace for Dlatrlot t?ul ballot as 'can$ld4te for Justlo Ths CoWt, In holding that th4se ballots should be x0. 1." counted for relator raid:
While the8e ballots tlaslgnat4d the vroz~g &.;&ot, yet being a4rt in the third dls- trlot vharr relator var a 44ndIdatr for justlc4 of the p4404, th4y o4rtaInl hov that tha voters lntsndsd to vote for r6 ator for I justlee of thr peace of the blstrlot ln vhloh they ware aant.
The rordr 'first dirtriot' did not, as ve think, oonstltuta a part of the lsgal designation of the office. Tlae~ rhould be trmted as rurplusage, should be oount4d for relator. and tpse ballot4 . . . th4 rule announa6d in th4 Hovr oas4, supra,
Applying cormslttseman frcss Justloe Prcclnct Bo. 1 If the candldato sssI@ad In Election Pr6olnat HO. 1 and reo4Ived a PrJorlty of the votes cast In Elaot~ian Pr6olnot lo. 1, then swh aandldate vss duly clectsd oossslttorman fihl~ Xleetlon Reeinot So. 8. 3. barrever, such candidate Bketlon Prcolnot No. r6sidal Justice Pmeinct Ilo. 1, and rso4lv4d a majority of the rot& sast In Elaotlon Woolnet lie. 8, th4n h4 would ho th4 duly electad owtt4eman frm motion Pr4oinct XO. 8. of euah sandidate reoslved a m4Jorlty of voter oast for eomsltte4- non In eaoh oi suoh prealnata then one of the two precIncta dld not el4ot a camllltt44m6n.
: Honorable Arnold smith, pof$a 5
Conroo, you stats, lr located in Justice preolnct no. 7 an4 that there ~88 only one name prlatad on the ballot for Jwtloo Preainct No. 7. You rtnte that Biectlon Pru0lllete ~os. 10 and 20 are looated vlthin Juattloe Frwiuct Ho. 7. In mu~.b inat.moe if the orndldeta frm Jwtloe Wechat NO. 7 resided ln Elsotfon Prsolnot Ho. 10, for example, and rewired majority oS the rotaa oart for comlttoeman in eald Election iv the duly bleated ooia- Preclmt 00. 10, then ouch cPndldato a.ltteeman from Election PreOtnOt IiO. 10. The rule umounacd in the Bow case, supsa, together with examples herein @*en tiy be 8ppiiea ths atatu8 of sech candidate for in detsrarining 1n the oounty. The faat that the election pm- . oocmltteQ!aan &net m&y have been Improperly Qoi&natod on t.he ballot would be :mnster~al,
th8 derlgnatlon being mere rurplusage. The rule thus announced rhwld not bc ocmAdersd ap- plicable to every fnatanoe where them In an Iuproper dsrlgna- tlcn of a dintrlct or prealnot office. For sxam~le, where 8 oountg le included u1t.h.I.n two or awe judlclal districts and there &rs candidatea for district jud&o for each of suah dLs- the rule my not properly apply, depenaing of COUT~B on tricts, the otrc~tanoso . The taat t&t a car&date mzt raakdo in t&o precinct or dirtriot from vhich he lr 8 candidate, the lc- tention OS the votdr8, the qubllfiOatlOna axid lztsntlons of candidate or condldster mut 011 be oonaldmud ln detsr- tiIArL& the applloabillty of ouch a rule aa 1s hem applied,
Applying the rule thus ennounaed together vlth the pwtlcular end facts set out in yourruquent, alrowtanoss it folloms t$&t roux* first quertlon~rhoUld he anmfersd In the ff:rlaativa.
The faot that a windldate foe com.Ltteensn my hevo beer. voted upon by voters outm:do the precinot In whlah he re- rides would be lnanrtarlel in determhlng hlr election ln the ’ precinct in which he recldeo. Luch voter caa'r or rminst
~3 aandldate In preoLnotr outwide the prsalnat ln which he re~ldem ahould not be counted for ar a&alnst Mm. Is? almnot be elcoted CoDaPttaesan from an election in vhiah he precinct doer not reside. For cxmtsple. if the oandldato from Wl1lL.a (Election Freclnct No. 1) lived in PrsoFoat Eo. 1 and received of vot08 cast in Eleotion Precrnct Bo. 1, hct * msjsrlty 1~ the duly elected candidate fro;t the Yilllr freclst.
nonorable Arnold Smith, pm&e 6
If 8wh Oandldrte ~WXD Ulllfr 4150 reoelred a m cr- lty of the vote5 oaet in the meti Preoinot (Xleotion Pro0 kc t lo. 8) th en th ere vu no OcmmlttoeMn l leoted from ruoh MuRae ‘1. x. Pf501not. :i \ Under the particular clroumtance8, and the amamtzp- Z~ tiona thur lude, it follovr that your 84cond quertlon rhould
$ 5180 be anwered Ln the afflrratlte. c +~ raprd to your thLrd gu55tiJn vq dlreot your st- ;gtlon to th ova of Welk4r 4t al. v. iiopping, 226 s. II. t i 7, In that oaae lt ~$5 hsld that the aounty executive aus- $ eitteomn of a party ooutinuo to hold over u&l their PUO- :, ceaaor5 am chosen land qu41if14dd, After thwi tatl.n& rule i the Court said; \
I> l&3 r485on the rule thet an of- ficer XGarily hold5 000~ until th4 qui3lifioa- tloll of his 5uo04550r la -baaed on oom4n14no4, its o3jeot being to prevent the erllr that vould result from the root that oth4rvte4 a situation tight OOSWI about vhem there vould be no one to perforn the funotlonr of offlae to the detri- cum of the pub110 or partier lnter45t4d, At b4- .1~ svldently to the interest of ell 5uoh p4rtler no rush hiatw OCOUP. Qullfxatloa 25 a forpnsl abthod of denatlrq wmeptance of the of- f ioe, @md the reaman ior the general rule loglc- allr pursu4d vould neem u5 to bad tci the con- olwlon that In owe8 of thlr kind the old of- the roorptanca by hlr floe? rhould hold on wtll ohoren 5uoo585Or.” in the oaee of Welker Applying rule thus etated
v, iioppln& tupm, to your rltustlon it vould 8 coznitteceen vho vere el4ctsd in l950 ircaa t& 4 e4tlcm cinatt vhlah did not eleot my oapalttee8en in 1942, vo d prrr 'ri= bold over and reslsln member8 of the xe4utlv4 owmlttee until their 5ueo455or5 are ohoren in the nmnm provided for in b&l- cl4 3116, rupra. Th4 oandldatem 50 cleated in 19ka together with the hold-over5 from eleotlon &@eoJmot8 not sleGt* uy com5ltt445mn Ln 1942 vould aoagore th4 party exhoutlve ocm- aittea of #antgamy County. Iiavhg first detwmlned the aaapovition of' ruoh
i party executive oomalttee it then rtn~ln~ to be datemined vhether such committee thus oompo8ed 5~4~ proceed to Wt. .i
EoAorrbl4 Arnold Stith, p&e 7
The rtatuto autharlrm ewh exooutlve commlttea ir client 08 to m&it 8ti1 oanrtitute a quorum. Ya l wt ther4- bV iA order t0 68t4rritW tbl5 phA8e fore look to the o- of your quertlcn.
934 co5wm lav of m@and, 80 far a5 it not ineonriatbnt vtth the CoprtitutloA rd lrve of thir state, rhsll tlon aad l4v5, be the rule of d4ul510n, aad ah11 together vlth ru0h Conntltu- ao~tlaue 1x1 force wtil altered 0r repealed by the Lagirlaturr . ' Voluw 35 of Wards and Phrasco, page 672, thy rule
55 tc; vhat shsll oomttitute a quorum at oo5mon lnv 15 sttted a5 rollour:
‘UAaer the oomao~ lav rule, a 555jorlty of authorilted meber8h.t~ of a re l 85ntatlve II umr or of hsabsre body cOMi#titq$ Of a definite oo126titutcn B cpmrum tar th8 purpose of transeat- 1% biUJb458." (BBphaS15 OUX’I ) In the oa5e of Unlt4d States ve &llln, Jweph and Co,, 12 Sir Ct. 50'7, 114 U, 55. 1, 36 L. Ed. 321, the United &at48 :upzm Court woeed vith approval the folloving Eulet
L . *. *And, *5 a gonsral rule, It ~tpy be atetsd that not only vhore the oorporato pnw rsrldoe vhere It ha5 been delugated in a releot body, a5 a olty o~uucll, but to e 00mlttee or tG .¶&4AtS, than, ALI th0 8b88AOO of 8*0iel @'Ori- 510~ otherviee, (I mlmrlty of the eeleot body, GP of the oonmtt4e cw agenta, are poverlere to bind ths m#jcrltp Or do my valid Ot* If all the mabsra of the rekot body or comlttoe, or lf al1 tb4 ~snta are l 854mbl8d, or If all have been duly nstlfi+d, &ad the tiAOrity refure GC ae&lcot to met vlth otherer 4 Mjorlty of tho84 WeeeAt 5my act, provided tho58 pe8eAt colutitute a arrrjorlty 0s the vholr nuab*r. Xn other voF(I5, in rwh aare, a major part of the vhol.6 18 A4OeDDAry t0 COA5titUte A QUOrU25, 5Ad *8 Eonorable Arnold &%ltll, pago 8
a lanjority of tha Quorum may eat. If the melor part rlthdrau to a8 to lee** no quorum, the to aat 18, in general, aoarl r red of the Pinorlty to aoeae.’ . . :
It 56 therefore the eatabllrhec? rule, unlser other- that a bfxly ruch Ia 61 aountp executive aoa- vise m&dated, nittee nap not take an7 valid notion butlers a srajorilcy of the ln l’iont&otaary County the auth~rlsed maaberehip be present . euti=;rirsd mnberehip of the county eseout.ive committoe Is order for l wh oonmittee to teka any tvent;l. Exxefme valhi sctk;. It 18 nscersary th8t et leaot elsven members be
-I I;:. Yea sro therefore bdvleed, in enawer to your third ~~~cEio~, that a oo~ty exeoutlve OaeraLttee does not hsve au- thcrity of tba mthocinad membsrsbip bo preecnt. to fill vamnolaa on ruch ocmznlttre u~lesa a mjority
1~ enaw4~ to your fourth quoat:oo the courrty con- v6ntio3 ia net authorrred to fill arirtlng vocancler on tha ~0urAj exacutlvr oWtt+e.
ir oomlualon you a&nit the follsvinG queatlonr “xe the Cour1ty cuairrcaa of the -LceciItiva iGaP nittee entltlcc: to conpanantlon for his aervl~efi In nc?ditloa to thG CorqensetiGn which he recclveu for yrealdia over each meeting far the County Exaoutivu Comlittee?*
tie are umble to Sind any authority gem1 tting tb county exooutlve coumlttee to allor the couity OUilirmBn oom- rens6tica for hlc rervloaa rnadured In 8uc.h cepaclty. In j&.1 V. ?arkeeL’, 129 d. k’. (2d) 609, it uas held that oowtg chalrmn wet not entitled to an mnual ealary for hlr ~crv:cca. Yin ~000 dLd not go SO far, hwavec, as to hold tflc'* aald ch72irmm La not entitled t0 a4 cmpenaation what- goevcr.
Art. LOlO )105, R. c. 5.. 1325, provider fOP the 6x- There is nothlig in such statute pn%sr Of J:rlai%ry dectlont. itiicati,ng tha ohelriaan of thb ezecutiva comittes or my SQmbac thereof shall be entitled to receive fete for their The C:ourt ln tha cere of Cm511 v. Farker, rcrvicas. supra, In holding t&t tie county chaLram Yea not entltlad an annual rrlary ra:d:
&uxwable Arnold Smith, page 9
. Furthermore, lr the aounty chairman and oa;s;t;8e l# Qe8t8d Vlth autborlty to make aaeesmente beyond vblob 18 reaeoneble arxi n00088ary r0r th0 defraying or l naer 0r the primary, then lf they could pay t Q oomty T ahalroen an annual salary they aould just (~8 veil pay the oarlow memberr or the cotsuittau e eaiary and this vouli? mmke it prohibitive on the CUM:- deter to anriounam r0r ofriae end heve tLair name8 pl8oed on the ticket, thw d8rtroyiq the very FWJTO80 rOr vbich the County Cl-&irmBn and the coaaalttcc efi8tlJ.*
It is thdrerora OFidOl; of thla dcparruent timt the chalnaacl ot the County 8reoutiva comittao ia not entitled any coqwmtion tor his rerviaca rendwad in much OfriCl81 copeity.
Yours vcrg truly .