Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
fiomrable
fimmrable Arnold 3mlt.h
County Attorney
county Attorney
ucntgo3wy
ucntgo3wy County
conrau , T~-e%m
Dear slrt opplafoa HO. o-
Fiec Whether a
Reodpt
iieodpt l.r
ir your reoent let-
ter requetting oplai . we
. We quote froze
frozi
your luttor Bo follova
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,rthe Justtoe Frualaat
I
i
Eotioreble Arnold Smith, page 2
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
r aa follovrr Justice Preainct Uumbor One iiontgom-
cry Couuty, Texas, it composed of tvo (2) Election
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 the
,
l.?xxeautiveCtittee aubrulttod the n&w of the
! caadidate for Conarltteeman U ~CorrPPltteomen for
, Freclmt HILaLwr one.’
Thle ballot vae ueed In
both Ylllia und There vat only one caodi-
t%Ree.
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 for Ocmmftteemn
for Precrinot Eight to the 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-
clnct oould have vrltten la vhora they chose. I
merely used Freoinat One as ID. exeqle. Thle oon-
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 3
“1. c a n 8 o a nQlda tu r o r l p o s1 t1 0no n ?A4
Ex.ecutlve Coziualttes be eleoted to office vhsn said
cendldate's nam gods upon the 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 m0mb4ralure 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
'4. In the avant that tha purported Exixeou-
tits ColPmittse ir vithout luthorltr to fill euch
vao&ncl4c, uould the County Conventlm be suthor-
iced to 04rtltJ mm44 of member8for 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-
4d they vi11 be trtsted togtther. It app4mrr th6t th4r4 4r4
41&t juatlcs pmolnctr in thr oounty, th, ~x+mum lllousd
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
three of the sight justloo preeinctr there la no sleotlon pre-
c111ot with nunberr oorrerpondlng to tha jwtlcr prsalnote in
v%cl: auoh el4otlon preainotr are loo&ted. Sin04 them ar4
0-1~ c~&ht justlo ppeainots, ther4 mnnln twelve 616otlon
Frt3cinct8 with number4 not oorr4rpondlng to any $l4t104 pm-
cinct number, them being twenty 414atloii precincts.
Artha 3118, R. c. S. or 1925, ~COVM~I that there
rhell ba for @oh pplltioal party requlrsd by lru to hold prl-
psry cleotlon~ r0r nomln6tlon of it8 candidrt4r, e county
executlwe ooziaxlti44, to b4 ooapoa4d or 0 oounty ch8lrmaq 8nd
one rcmixr fror;r caoh sleotlon praeinat. !Ph4 proclmt oamaitt4e-
min ah911 act em ch6imen 0r hlr 414otion preolnot, all com-
nittemun to be slecttd on the g4nerU prim6ry election d&y
: Eonorabl4 Arnold Smith, p4g4 4
by the quallflsd votw8, and th4 oounty ohMman by th4 quall-
fled voter@ of tha oounty, and th4 pr6olnot chalrmn by the
rtsllfledvotsre of th4ir r4ap4etlvr 414otlon pr4olncts. Th4
lrt Icls furth4r provld4a that1
'ARJ vaeanay in th4 offlc4 of ahairman, ooun-
ty or 4olnct, or ~LWm4mb4r of rush cosnsItt44
@hall r 4 r111.e by a majority rot4 or raid 4UOU-
trve CaQmltt44:
In th4 44rly 44m4 of State 4x rel Eertcrday v. -4,
44 II. W. 874, by tb4 Suprrm Court of Nebraska, the relator
4as a candidate for Just104 OS the Peace for tha 3rd District.
m candidate reelded In the 3rd Mstrlct and was vot4d upon
by the pople of th4 3rd Dletrlct. In some of the polling
placct In ths 3rd Dlrtrlct the candfdate*s nsm4 ~4s plaosd on
t?ul ballot as 'can$ld4te for Justlo al the Peace for Dlatrlot
x0. 1." Ths CoWt, In holding that th4se ballots should be
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 lhov that tha voters
lntsndsd to vote for the r6 I ator for 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,
and tpse ballot4 should be oount4d for relator.
. . .
Applyingth4 rule announa6d in th4 Hovr oas4, supra,
If the candldato for cormslttseman frcss Justloe Prcclnct Bo. 1
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 r6sidal In Bketlon Prcolnot No.
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 the 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$a 5
Conroo, you stats, lr located in Justice preolnct
no. 7 an4 that there ~88 only one name prlatad on the ballot
for Jwtloo Preainct No. 7. You rtnte that Biectlon Pru0lllete
~os. 10 and 20 are looated vlthin Juattloe Frwiuct Ho. 7. In
mu~.binat.moe if the orndldeta frm Jwtloe Wechat NO. 7
resided ln Elsotfon Prsolnot Ho. 10, for example, and rewired
l majority oS the rotaa oart for comlttoeman in eald Election
Preclmt 00. 10, then ouch cPndldato iv the duly bleated ooia-
a.ltteeman from Election PreOtnOt IiO. 10. The rule umounacd
in the Bow case, supsa, together with examples herein @*en
tiy be 8ppiiea in detsrarining ths atatu8 of sech candidate for
oocmltteQ!aan 1n the oounty. The faat that the election pm- .
&net m&y have been Improperly Qoi&natod on t.he ballot would
be :mnster~al, th8 derlgnatlon being mere rurplusage.
The rule thus announced rhwld not bc ocmAdersd ap-
plicable to every fnatanoe where them In an Iuproper dsrlgna-
tlcn of a dintrlct or prealnot office. For sxam~le, where 8
oountg le included u1t.h.I.n two or awe judlclal districts and
there &rs candidatea for district jud&o for each of suah dLs-
tricts, the rule my not properly apply, depenaing of COUT~Bon
the otrc~tanoso . The taat t&t a car&date mzt raakdo in
t&o precinct or dirtriot from vhich he lr 8 candidate, the lc-
tention OS the votdr8, the qubllfiOatlOna axid lztsntlons of
the candidate or condldster mut 011 be oonaldmud ln detsr-
tiIArL& the applloabillty of ouch a rule aa 1s hem applied,
Applying the rule thus ennounaed together vlth the
pwtlcular alrowtanoss end facts set out in yourruquent, it
folloms t$&t roux* first quertlon~rhoUld he anmfersd In the
lff: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 for 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 precinct in vhiah he
doer not reside. For cxmtsple. if the oandldato from Wl1lL.a
(Election Freclnct No. 1) lived in PrsoFoat Eo. 1 and received
* msjsrlty of the vot08 cast in Eleotion Precrnct Bo. 1, hct
1~ the duly elected candidate fro;t the Yilllr freclst.
nonorable Arnold Smith, pm&e 6
If 8wh Oandldrte ~WXDUlllfr 4150 reoelred a m cr-
lty of the vote5 oaet in the meti Preoinot (Xleotion Pro0 kc t
‘1.
lo .8)th e n e no OcmmlttoeMn lleoted from ruoh MuRae
th e rvu
x. Pf501not.
:i
\
Z~ Under the particular clroumtance8, and the amamtzp-
$ tiona thur lude, it follovr that your 84cond quertlon rhould
c 5180 be anwered Ln the afflrratlte.
+~
In raprd to your thLrd gu55tiJn vq dlreot your st-
t ;gtlon to th ova of Welk4r 4t al. v. iiopping, 226 s. II.
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-
:,
i ceaaor5 am chosen land qu41if14dd, After thwi ltatl.n& the rule
4 the Court said;
\
I>
l&3 r485on for the rule thet an of-
ficer XGarily hold5 000~ until th4 qui3lifioa-
tloll of his 5uo04550r la -baaedon 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 the offlae to the detri-
cum of the pub110 or partier lnter45t4d, At b4-
.1~ svldently to the interest of ell 5uoh p4rtler
that 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 to u5 to bad tci the con-
olwlon that In owe8 of thlr kind the old of-
floe? rhould hold on wtll the roorptanca by hlr
ohoren 5uoo585Or.”
Applying the rule thus etated in the oaee of Welker
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 oapalttee8enin prrr
1942, vo
'ri=d
bold over and reslsln member8of the lxe4utlv4 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.
i Iiavhg first detwmlned the aaapovition of' ruoh
party executive oomalttee it then rtn~ln~ to be datemined
.i vhether such committee thus oompo8ed 5~4~proceed to Wt.
EoAorrbl4 Arnold Stith, p&e 7
The rtatuto autharlrm ewh exooutlve commlttea ir
client 08 to m&it 8ti1 oanrtitute a quorum. Ya lwt ther4-
fore look to the o- bV iA order t0 68t4rritW tbl5 phA8e
of your quertlcn.
934 co5wm lav of m@and, 80 far a5 it 15
not ineonriatbnt vtth the CoprtitutloA lrd lrve
of thir state, rhsll together vlth ru0h Conntltu-
tlon aad l4v5, be the rule of d4ul510n, aad ah11
ao~tlaue 1x1 force wtil altered 0r repealed by
the Lagirlaturr . '
In 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
the authorilted meber8h.t~ of a r e l85ntatlve
body cOMi#titq$ Of a definite IIumror of hsabsre
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 in a releot body, a5 a olty o~uucll, but
vhere It ha5 been delugated to e 00mlttee or tG
.¶&4AtS, than, ALIth0 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 lOt* If all
the mabsra of the rekot body or comlttoe, or
lf al1 tb4 ~snta a r el854mbl8d, or If all have
been duly nstlfi+d, &ad the tiAOrity refure GC
ae&lcot to met vlth the 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
Eonorable Arnold &%ltll, pago 8
a lanjority of tha Quorum may eat. If the melor
part rlthdrau to a8 to lee** no quorum, the
of the Pinorlty to aat 18, in general, aoarl r red
to aoeae.’ . . :
It 56 therefore the eatabllrhec? rule, unlser other-
vise m&dated, that a bfxly ruch Ia 61aountp executive aoa-
nittee nap not take an7 valid notion
butlers a srajorilcy of the
auth~rlsed maaberehip be present . ln l’iont&otaary County the
euti=;rirsd mnberehip of the county eseout.ive committoe Is
tvent;l. Exxefme In order for lwh oonmittee to teka any
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 to fill vamnolaa on ruch ocmznlttre u~lesa a mjority
of tba mthocinad membsrsbip bo preecnt.
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 OUilirmBnoom-
rens6tica for hlc rervloaa rnadured In 8uc.h cepaclty. In
j&.1 V. ?arkeeL’, 129 d. k’. (2d) 609, it uas held that the
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-
pn%sr Of J:rlai%ry dectlont. There is nothlig in such statute
itiicati,ng that tha ohelriaan of thb ezecutiva comittes or
my SQmbac thereof shall be entitled to receive fete for their
rcrvicas. The C:ourt ln tha cere of Cm511 v. Farker, supra, In
holding t&t tie county chaLram Yea not entltlad to 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
laaeesmente beyond that vblob 18 reaeoneble arxi
n00088ary r0r th0 defraying or the l na er 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
FWJTO80rOr vbich the County Cl-&irmBn and the
coaaalttcc efi8tlJ.*
It is thdrerora the OFidOl; of thla dcparruent timt
the chalnaacl ot the County 8reoutiva comittao ia not entitled
to any coqwmtion tor his rerviaca rendwad in much OfriCl81
copeity.
Yours vcrg truly
.