Bill would require sharing appointment authority for precinct clerks between presiding and alternate election judges

Senate Bill 108, presented by Senator Hall, would create a statutory process for sharing appointment and oversight responsibilities between the presiding election judge and the alternate presiding judge at polling places. The bill would require both the presiding and alternate presiding judges to be able to appoint election clerks and for the alternate to act as presiding judge if the presiding judge is absent. The measure would also permit the alternate judge to observe areas where voters are being accepted.

Senator Hall told the committee the bill intends to standardize practice statewide and reduce the risk that presiding judges appoint clerks without balance. Dr. Laura Presley (True Texas Elections) supported the bill and suggested tightening related provisions for central counting stations and ballot boards to ensure alternate judges are not relegated to subordinate roles in those venues. Lucy Trainor (registered witness) provided Travis County observations that in the most recent general election many polling locations lacked Republican judges and alternate judges or used clerks not on the lists submitted to the county chair; she suggested penalties or stronger accountability for election administrators who fail to share appointment lists.

Senator Hall said he would work with witnesses on potential technical adjustments; the bill was left pending for further work.