Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1940 )

OFFICE OF THE A?TORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Eonorable Paul T. Rolt
COUJItyAttOrnOy, TXaYi8 htAty
AWtA.n, Toxar
Dear SIX,
Rer wbrthar
*an the ballot voted on fur 27, 1940, tha
name of the only oandlbntowho f1led his appli-
cation with the County Chairman and paid tlr,
asaasement lerlwl by the Csuaty &XeeutiYe Corm-
mittee appeared on the ballot. Ahie Qandidate
failed to reoelre a majority of all the voter,
cast. There were a lumber of write-kll06Ml~tO8
Hon. Paul T. Bolt, page 2.
for the ortioe and the qwstim is now whether
the write-In candidat who received the highest
number of wrrit~4.nvote8 ia entitled to hme hirs
, name printed 60 the offiofal ballot for the pri-
mary sleetion to be helb oa .&gust ZB, 19&O, en&
T reapeotrullpreq~st a rulinCJrxorayau es to
whether the h:&ast wrlta-la omdidete is en-
titled to have his name printed on the official
ballet for the run-off primary to ba held on
August $24,1940."
It is clear iron the raats sat out in your lettar
quoted abwa that it will be neoaseary to have e sewnd pri-
zmry aleotlon to select tha d5macrstianonine for the offioe
in pueution, ainoe (1) the Txsri5 County Xxeoutire CorPmlttee
hamapr~i;tiBby proper resolution,' as sontamplatedby ~rtlole
that noalnatioa5 for oounty ad preelnat of-
fios;r ihail 2 by a nmjorit vote, and (2) no oendidatefor
this offloe received a majorIty of the votes aast at the
iirst prbary.
:srtic1a3ll3, ad06a ClVil statutw or Texas, 19e5,
provides In psrt:
-my porwn desiring hla wmo to appear on
the offislcl ballot for take@umml prirpruy,
as a candid&e for the noaination¶hx say off106
to be filled by the qUali,f&bd voter@ of a ceoupty
or a portion tharaof, or for wwt$ chair,
shall tile with the adunty ohaimaa of the Bounty of
his rasidenoa,not later than fiaturaaybefore the
third norday in June proo5ddling suoh primary, a
writtan request for bL nacm to be priated on suah
ofrZaia1 ballot . . .*
It is to be mtea that thio pxuvi5lon applies speoi-
floelly to the *general prlnary*, -6 thrrefare is not Qon-
txolling as to the naams vdiichnit&rb6 p~lRtQ4d08 the ballot
for the stoand prlmery, partieolarlywhen one QT bath of tha
oandldaterreoelt$.~ the hi&hoot aumber of ‘Iota0 at the riret
plrimarywore wxlte4n oandldate8whoa38MMS were not wintell
on the ballot for the general @r iti8t primary.
irtiale 1?&06, R. C. bl., pxorldrs that the County
exeoutive conmlttee shall estimte the aost of holding the
774
mm. Paul T. Rolt, page 3.
primary eleotiona aad *shall apportion auoh aoat among the
ya;at;; oaudidatee for noralnatlon for oounty and pPeO$AOt
,* to bb paid by thspa *on ar before the Saturday
before l$ fourth xonday 13 June. . .'.
Artlola 3116, Ii.c. S*, prorldes In part:
-l?operoon*s naae 8hall be plaaed on the
ballot or a dietriot, wuntp, or prsolwt offloe
who has not pald to the wunty exeeutire oummlt-
tee the aw#unt or the ertla*tad axpeum of hold-
ing rruohprimary apportionedto him by tba county
executive oomaittaaa8 hareiabeloreprovId0d.w
The question presented ln mur rrqueat rerrolree
ftseli to a aou6truotlonof the la& lbwe quoted statute
i. 8. whether a oandldate who would othwwlos be pallfl~
to harm hI# name printed on the ballot Sor the rewnd primary
by rea80n of hating reoelred one of the two highrrt aumbarof
totea In the flrrt primry ir disqualified by reason of the
faot that he did not pay hla proportionat ehare of the prl-
mary expenses *on or before tha Saturday~beiorathe fourth
&mvlay in June*.
It la rlgnifloantto not6 that all al the above
quoted provision8ot our present elostion atatutm found thalr
crt8tutory o&In in but slightly airr0rm romaIn the ao-
wiled Terra11 014atloa law being 2mu10 Bill $0. 8, ChoptOr
ll, heto of the pir6t Called Sfm~$on af the ZOth Legislatura,
1905, pase de0 et 8eq. The first lcmteBoe 0r the pramat RT-
tlole 3116 aboir quoted was originally enaottedas the undei-
ooorad portion of the followhg ~uatatlon tma 88otlon 111 of
the Terrell Eleotion Law, in the form and contort a8 foll0~8r
whloh subooamitteeshall mast ob the
*eooni*&Gay In July and m&b U tha 0fflOlal
ballot for sues GmiG FRybLfiYPII.
auoh oounty,
In aooordanoswith the asrtlficrates of the state
and dietriot ohairaau,and the request filed with
the county chairman, and plaalng the mme of
candidates for nminatlon ror State, dlatrlet,
oounty and preolmt oifloes thereon in the ordor
detsralnedby tha Bounty exaautive aomnItta@ a8
herein provided; provided that the napB of DO
Eon. Paul T. Iiolt,page 4.
Sprolal nde should be glven‘to the faot that the
word %hereon* relntu bask to *amh ettnernl rimup. It
18 apparent,therrrore, that article 31lS as lp
t now appmm
in our 8tatutso, orlginn&ly retured only to the genernl
primary and not to the 66~0~4 or rueoff primary.
Did mb8equsnt 1e$lelatiuree and oodliien b 1m$
~titutlng for the ward *thweorP aa wed in seotlon s
the Terrell.SlrotiorrLaw the word *ballot?, thereby intoad
to change fho meaning oi the statute so that it Rboialdrefer
to both the g~nrral and the roeon primary, whersna in it8
orl&ml enn0tm~nt it xofsrred only to the gonull prlmnrpv
we think not,
It 16 llkewlae important to 4eterml.n. whether tb6
phraee lher&ibaforo rovlded " contained in both the abwo
quoted pro~i*lon of tfi* lmdl xcleotionLaw and in Art.
3116, wpra, rolntor to thb peysmt of the pmpertionata psrt
of thb @nary oxpaiuw by the ccandldate ae provldbd by Arti-
ole 3108, or whether it relate8 *n;ls to the prooediogphrase
in the dnme rantmoe %qqtortlonedto hlw. The latter eon-
struotlonwas adoptd In a oaretully roarone opinion by
asslrttant Attorfay drnarnl B. M. Rowlazid,addrem to t?r.
W, R. &IoClellanddate4 July S, 1910. iftaX quotlmg thlrr
ldentlanl provldon from 8eotlon ill of the T8rr.11 tiOOtion
Law, the opinion roeUs8
*we tb%nk ths phrare *aa hereinbeforspro-
vided* has the word 'apportdomd', for its ante-
oedaat, and not ths word 'paid', an4 -bat the
r0n0wing rub4 hid down Fo a xm15* southsrlana
on statutory Construction,sso. 4i?oapplies,
qlelatiYe aad qUd.ffyfngWOrdSaLldphI%SeS,
gram!r@Itiatiy slidlegtily where n0 OOntrary in-
tention appears, refer soisly to the last ante-
Eon. Paul T. Bolt, pbge S
sy thib reierenoe to the statutory hibtarg of
krtfale 3116 ana an bnalysi.5of Its grmunatloal8truatur5,
we reaoh the bonolubionthet thlb Artlole my not properly
bb construedso ad to preeludb a abnaldatb who hbo r808ite4
the ropuisite number of vote5 In the flrbt prlxary from he+-
lng hi5 name placed upon thb ballot In the meaond prl.muy by
retmon oi the faot that he failed to pag his propOrtionat
share of the primary bxpmse8 on or before thb SaturQby bb-
fore the rourth Mondey in June a5 rbqulrsd by Art1018 3108,
R. c. s., 55 a prerbqulbitbto km.rohis nbsb printed on the
ballot for the firbt primary.
The oonoluelonarrived at by the foregoingaably-
sib or the Statute lf~even nwrb forolbly rwtainbd by a bbn-
SldbratlO~of the gabral pur osea md publio p0110y Fatbnded
to be efleotuated by our
tollow5ngauthoritlea. The
tiona la to carry out the theory of Yea
or the RI11 or Right5 of thb Tbxbb Cenbtltutionwhlbh prwla8bI
*ill politl&l power fs inherent In the pee-
ple, and all free gorsmmbntb are rounded WA their
mitharlty,end imitut84 ror their bbnbft. . ,*
Thb of our general and primary 5~50tion
purpose law5
18 t0 g&IEUWitbb 5Ud oteot the bxbroisb of the rreb bh~iob 0r
the peoplb in the 58reotion of the orfleials to gwbrn them.
our blbotf.on btatutbswe nubt bvbr bbbr in mind
pu aee and seek to birbotuate it rather than
reetrlet and trbiunb'p It by bomt.rubtion. AS stated by Chief
Jubtioe zhillips in Qilame ~5. wapleb, et al., 106 Tbx. 167,
p. 173,
*It is the undoubted rtgbt OS a polltlcal
prtrtpto aLakehomlnatlons for the blbotire oiti-
obrb of the people. The Leglblbturehas thb
authorityto prbboribe rbbbonbblb purthodbto be
tute 89 arbitrary interferenobwlth the liberty
of the peoprs to fr6ely awoolats thembblvbbiOS
the purpose OS exprbsel~ auoh ohoioe for their
elective ofrlcea as they ml.ghtbbleot and for
reasxs they might be8 fit."
Hon. Paul T. Halt, page 6
Thst Votes oaat tbr a oan4Idatb by writing In his
atMi55r8 Of equal di.gXiitywith tb085 for a a~4Idate whose
name was printed on the ballot at a general primery or gen-
oral 6leotIon oannot be dOUbtb6 alnob the aaaiiia0n0s ths
ODBw Of DXLCL@~I ~8. JO xarkena Ct. Clr. ~pp. lS34),
76 9. a. (Cd) era and c help~6. MODbrmrOtt,(El Pbao
ct. Clv. &p. lsd] 277 s. w. 21.8,Wit or error PbfWbd.
In &XUM@Sl VS. JOnbS the agreed 8tatabIlt of faOt8
btatbd In part:
Wrb. i3opH. Dunnagan did not oolpply with
any of the provieions of the prirmary8leotIon
law requIrea or can4Idste6In said rlmary blbo-
tiOn 15W t0 enable them to h5vb the zlr smmba print-
56 on the offlolil ballot as oanaiaateeand aid
sot pay eny portion of the bXp5IlObS 0r hold-
said eleot10n,*
Isowwbr, the omrt held that m6. Dunn~bn, hacring rbaoivbd
a majority of the valid rotee oaet at tho general prlmbry by
write-ln wae duly noiubated.
In C~harp VS. fbODblWIOtt, thb UMUOlbS8iP;L @Uibi-
dart5 for thb GlffiOb Of OOuOtyand di.rrtri%t alerk io the &mb-
oratlo primary, reomlvo4 a mejorlty or the voter by write-in
In the pumral ele0tIon. II% dbblarIngthe validity of the
4lbOtiOIl Of the Wdtb-iZl Q8i5did8tb bt the sbiVJr& b~bbtiOJl,
tkb 5oUPt Statbdr
*It aannot be eaia that bbaeurb~a oanbi-
ante's name 414 not a pear on the orrlolal ballot
that tO5r5fmb he e0 uf d not bb~lb&d.ly5lOf3tb6,
If he was QtherewIseaot InelI.igiIble to hold~ths
offiG to whloh ho abpired, for to 50 hold wuld
be, in effect to sa;gthat 8 oltlzea of ttirrrrtatb
I&O &5&11P5d to off;05 BWt bithOP help pa t;hti
6XpbllbbS Of SOW pS%'t+ywi5S3'y alp lQWt, wi
thirty t&ye bftbr QrlbUWy 5lbOtiQn da abiitu
t,ethe Secretary of State bli appliaa J’ On sfgsbd
by the required p4reent6&5 Of Qualified Votba in
hI8 4l5trlOtwfiOh5~b not pbrtlblpbtbdin any party
primary.*
Bon. z'aulT. Rolt, paE4 7
While writs-in vote6 for oandldateeat the general
or first primary election are valid a8 deolared by the oourt
In Cunningha vs. Xc54rmott an& Lmnoagah ~6. Jones, supra,
suoh is not true of the run-off primry. The San Ahtonio
Court of Civil ;,ppealsin Gunni~heQ against s+een, 96 3. #.
(Cl) 793 nt p. 800, dealared:
"Before a person is entitled to be voted for
for an offiae in the run-ofi prFnary, he au6t
hova been one of the two high candidatsa at the
first primary, Ii thi6 W4l.4not tnt4, it i6 very
likely that neither aandidat.6 woukl reosfve a
mlority. If voters wera left tree to *Tit4 in
the name of any person they might choose in the
run-ofi primary, there could vsry 4a6ily, and
probably would, not be a majority for any oandl-
dats in the a4conQ prtiary, and thus the requlre-
ments of the law that before a oandldate oau be-
come a party noml1144he murt have reoeived a
majority of the vot46, rould prevent the party
rr05 maklnc:a nomination.4
The ml66 laid down by the forsgoing 4ourt deoisions
are in aaoordanoewith the former opinions of this depsrlment
on the subjeot.
In a lstter opinion datea august 19, 1932, addrsseed
to Mr. holy TinCel, wvitt6n by iiaslstant Attorney General
Qeynor ~ehdall, a >earfng at p. 860 of Vol. 337 of the kttor-
nay (;eneral*sLetees Opinions, it wa6 stated;
“. . Siuce there is no etatutory prohibi-
l
tion expressly inhibiting the pra4tio4,a votsr
in the geubral primary playsoratoh the narmbor
names of candidates appear@ on the,OtfiGial
ballot for.such prlrmry, an3 may write in the
name of ahother p4raon, an8 that rush ballot must
be counted %ILr6tUrns mad4 ShOwixlgthe vote6 Oa6t
for all candidates includiu& those whose na648
ware written in by th6 votara.
*Such 16 not the prlneiple OS the run-off
prizary. 5Qxe the purpo.64 of euC& el40tfon iS
to prevent the makiq~ of a mlnoritg no&nation
there must bo a llxaitationupon the choice Of a
voter or else ths process oi voting,in the run-
off primary would be an smpty essture, md the
result of tho second eleot~on z&ht easlly be
preotioally the ,66mo46 that of the first prl-
mary and the promos might be carried to infinity
without arriving at 4 majority noalnatlon.~
In letter opinion addreassdto Nonorable m&h L.
.%a11 written by assistant Attorney General tipor x4ndall
on June ZQ, 1934 p. GO, Vol. 367, Attorney ~4neral*11Letter
OplnioM ( ths foilowing qusation wan propounded:
"It ths voters write in 6 nani5 for oounty
oomls6lonsr or other oounty orricial in tha
July prlnary, who has not fileU his application
aaaordiw to law nor pai& hi6 lea, shall the
exeoutlve oOrtmltt66count and aona’idersaid vote?*
In answer to thi6 queatlon the opinion declared:
*xn reply to the above you are advissd that
this d4pErtm4ZIt ha6 held BbVe2’6l tiPsa that in
the first or esneral primary eleotlon it 16 per-
6li66ibl4for voter6 to writ4 in the !mlpBof a
parson whoa4 mu44 6045 not ap*ar On the orrioiai
ballot em a oandldate for nomination r0r any
OffiOe, Md Who ha6 not Pfd My 666468antZlt4 t0
th4 county 4x4outiv4 4ommittetl."
% the 6611144fi4Ot i6 0 hiOn WTitten by Hiret k6-
alstant Attorney Cwner6l S4ott 03Pnes to t&r. vi.L. Steed on
iiU&USt3, 1936, p. 978 Or VOL. %f3 Or AttW.I4y &iI14I%l*6
Letter Opinione, whioh mm65 in part ae foUower
This d4partaentha6 held that voters
haa t& iiiht to writ4 the ma4 Or a pamen V&OPO
mm4 do4e mt'appear on the oifiolal ballot ior
any given oil144 and that such VQt4 mu6t ba oount-
sd and rsturn made thereon. xhe departtaaat ha6
rurthas held tbut suoh a person ii he lseowed
enouh votes to retitle his name to be placrsdon
th4 ballot for a run-off prim&ry, would be 4ntitlEd
to have his mum print&d on the offiolal ballot
ror suoh run-off prlmury,’ providsd that 6uoh p4r-
6on shall have compll%d with the rsqulremmt of
the statutrs p6PtEiiiing t0 th4 f$liJQ ot 0%44634
aooounte as rsquir4d by th4 statut4.*
780
Bone Pati T. Rolt, pa&a 9
WWJ pr4oiso qumationprerr%atetl
by your inquiry ~46
b4f6r4 thl6 boparfment end anmmnd bp 14ttsr oplalan wrltta
by h66i6tmt Attcmmp a6naral R* s . oxey to Honorable c. Burtt
Pottar, Ccunty Attorasy 3411Patiiolo CountJron Juna 23, 1933,
pa 151 Or vol. %z Of tileAthFn%y cILWrCil*iiL%tt4r @hiOn6.
On4 of tka qW6tlon6 pr4santsd In that opinion wad:
9~8 n460n9 qucrtion iiiwhether if a write
in OmilidPtO 6hOuL! b6 %i~the ZV.U+Urr,th4 QOEI-
mitt04 i6 oaclp4114d to &WI& hi6 mm6 an th6
ballot wli6r4ii6h66 sot ecmpl~#d wlth there-
QdS%ZO<6for the px%fiiaXJ 46 4bbv4 6ientioned
and WU6 IlOttb660660&'6llf3X'65tit,"
m 6n8wer to this qi;*rtlonth6 opinion r*eUsi
“la mJpl7 t6 ywr 6wwJdl quootion,tha lem
pres0r1bur M Jnt a a o lAJa
ls64utiv4-6oiIulitte6
ty 6:tall
not plaoe upoa tk6 ballQt th4 mm4 of 6ny psr6oa
harlng fi&a his a6144Wk466 Mid Oandfd6to66hOll
p 6y8u0rh84 6 a 6l8846a68 by 6UOh 04atUBftt%o+
Th4r4ruz-8, lr a perurn hflo%ag hi6 tl6a6 nittcm in
oa a ballot %n th4 rir6f prinury,,theabefare it
4haDld bs soo6pt.6 anb p2444b on:tb6 ballot fer
the 6664Qd prlnry ole&lon, ta.le‘sIscutire ooma:S-
t64 WOUU he~4 th4 T&?-k&t0 066466 hti 6UOh i446
66 th4p 86m t4 b4 l'466OZi6b14ii?t0 496466 RU4h
fees 88 preaarlbadby tk6 law.*
%%ih th4 Et4tUt46 r6ii t0 IT&C44Xpl.466&WWtriOa'
ror th6 payznat or roacr bg a orndidatswho64 mm6 4.ppeaa-6 en
WI6 6rri0if3~ b4lLot ti ths ftrat ti.vm in the 606GU4, or rua-
0fr prla*ry, we belic,v4Bh6t it ia within ths pow6r and 4%~
oretion af ~'3x1 4ounty dtm4r8tlo eseuutire etmrStt4~ trog@w-
66tib4 9 reasonablef44 Wbe p6id,by a oaabt8et+ who60 am6
ie ,t;o be printed on the lsecond prizarg bal.lot m& WLQhas
nolipaid armyree p??yrior to the Pirat pr2aary al ~r4sQ~Ib4d by
ArtIdle 3103, RI CI 3. Mr. Ju6tics Eawkiaa Fo B46a4 ta.
%Ep186, 103 Ter, 140, 16’i 3. ‘8. 101, a4Uh%a%
Hon. Paul T. Bolt, page 10
aoainationswithlu 6ueh party, inoludingrms``-
abl8 666466SiWLtts
6&&6t fA6yan8 4l.l4andidat.46
r0r 6Ush nominstloar."
In ao4ordenatwith th4 ioregolngauthorities,it
is our opinion that under the mot6 eet forth in your latt4r,
ths hlgh66t write-in 04ndlUata i6 entitled to h6*r hi6 na6@
printer3en the ofrioial.ballot ror the run-off prlmaty to
be h6ld 06 A U6t 84, 194C, 6ab that th4 %=4Vir f.kUntrm-
orat gr4Out ~4 Cosaritt64
"f; m6y rquire 6uoh otmdldato ta pay
ruoh romonable ree a6 they may determlas a4o46sary t6 da-67
hi6 proportioRat46har6 of the exp46646 of aonduotingth4
prhexy 4l4OtiOll6,
mar6 nry truly
ATTORWKYtR5UXRAl.
OF TEZ4.3
ATTORNEY GENERAL Walter R. Ko4h
A6615tant
ATEDAUG 3, 1940
-*.Pm----
ATTORXEY GEIWRAI.
OF TEXAS
COMMIREE