OFFICE OF THE.AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
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AUSTIN
-cIucm
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Ronorable Robert F. (Iherry
county AttmIlt'y
maque county
NericUan, Texas
D6ar 81,: OPFnien No. &2&J
Rer Hsy.the aommterionora~..oou~tin
ordering-a loaal option.eLiotion for
or ~st'$ho m8le OC be+- to be
\.
‘x "\,
\ "Questlcb No. L. * May the Coxmla(lionor~~
'~.O&t, Sriordsring a 10081~option rlsation for or
against the sala of beer, to bo hbld at the mama
tlao m4 plsoe as the demoontla primuy~eleotti,
legally appobt, aa judges or nuoh eleotion, ths
tam jud@m as those appointed by the aounty demo-
oretlo oommlttee to.hold the.demoaratio pr3.mx-y
eleatfon?~
"Question No. Ot 'If the Uwwissiomrs' Court
doss rrppolntrwh jUag6. and 90 otbra and the loaal
option elwmon f.0hrld at the mm8 t&m and pleae
011the demoratla prlmbry eleatloa, and under the
aupervlaioa and dlreotion of+ auah jwQear would the
looal option d.6OtiOA bs tbl'ebg lnvalldntod'l'
Honorable Robert 0. Cherry, Page 2
i
“The f’aatsan these: ’ In obedlonoe to the
petltlon recequimdby law for such 10~1 option
eleotlon, the Comm%ssloImr8'.Court of Boaque
County ha8 o*ered a oounty-wide looal option
eleation to determine whetheror not the sale
of twdr, oo~talning not mm4 than four per cent
or alaohol by w-t, shall ba legal in Bo8que
County, Tess. IA order to save expeA8e, the
414otiOn h4u be4A qmlered to be held on July
27th, the date of the demoratio prliiwy elso-
tion, at the memo polling plaaas &a that of the
dmuo~ratlo priwry, and,tht~order for elaotion
designeta as judges for abAd loczrloption @lea-
tlon thd saw judges LII those appointed by the
oomty dmoorrtfo o@maitteo to hold the demoore-
tia ,prlmary0~ that date. IA eroh o&e, only
one judge ha born-appointed for--oh polling
plaue,andineaohosse the on8 judgeappointed
is th4 aams for th4 looal~option lleation aa for
th4 d4mocratio paaanry,
"The Isw rei&es (Art. 666-33, v.A.o.s.)
that the eleOtion b# held AOt bS8 than teA nor
am4 than twenty day4 from the dat4 of the order
for sold elaotlon. This be- the 12th of July,
and the eleotlan haYAng bWA ordered for the 27th
of'July, it would be neoessaryfor WY to have your
oplnionnotlat4mthanthe16th ofJtigiftha
eleation order is to be aaendod to ooxUorm wLth .
your opinion and still permit the holding at the
eleotlon on July 27th. I don*t.knov lf It will
be possible to get the O@liOA SO quiokly, but,
ii 80, me shall appreoiate it.
?ho County Attorney's brief on these question8
is au r0iiow8:
'tit. 666-32 0r V.A.C.S. of the State or Tens
provides for the holding of a looql option election
to dstemlno whether alpnot the sale of'liquors shall
be prohibited or 1tiLegalsZod.
"Art. 666-33 of v.A.0.s. of tb State of Tem8
provide8 that the Oormi88iOzlbrf1' COUPt Sfaall in it8
Honorable Robert F. Chomy, Page 3
order state the date upon vtrioh*theeleotion is to
be held, the objeot Of Such eleation 'aAd ShCd1 bo
held to be prim faole eVIdenoo that all the provl-
81onS XSoOSSorJ t0 $iVb it Wlidity OF t0 OlOthe
theaaourt with jurIsdlot1on to malceIt mild, ham
been duly oomplled,wIth, provided that said court
8hsll app&t suoh offlc6rs to hold awh elections
aa how re@.nd to hold general elections. Acta
1935, 43th Leg., nyl C.S., p. 1795, oh. 467, Art.
1, sea. 33.'
“7hPXl~‘S AAAotatod 01~11 StrtUtOS, Vol. 9,
Title 50, oh. 3, Set8 out the qUBliiIOatIoZL8 Of
orMosr8 0r eloatloa md the Mnner of their appclht-
WAt. Art. 2937, sold title upd oharpter,prOVido8,
in Pa&,, 98 f01l~~Sr 'T&O Commloslo~~s~ OOUrt at
the February term ahall appoint from aai0Agthe cltl-
zonn of eaoh votIAg preoinot in whioh there are leas
than 100 voters who have pa&d-their poll tax, or
reoelved their oertiflaates of exemption, two reputa-
bB'&qual1fIod votms as judges of the OleatIoA, ##leoted
froa dlffeWAt polItlcal ~Z'tiOS, if practicable, to
set until tholr suace~soP5 are appointed.... One of
the jUdQ38, vh0 shall in An oa8Oe belong to the party
that at the last general slootion cast the 1ar;rgsat vote
for governor throughout the ate, shall be desigmtod
as the preeslblngjudge at the oleotlon.,.. The pre-
Siding judgs Sha11 0Ot ti l%OOiVbg md dqD8lt-l~ thb
vote8 In the ballot boxes, and the Other,judge aot
IA CoUnelAg the votes aasb....' Aota lat C.S. 1905,
91 533, *m. 57.
AAPt. 2938 Or Said tltb3 rad chapter 18 iA part
an followrr *For every preolnot IA whIoh thore are
100 altlcohllor more who have pUd thedr poll tax,
or reoelved thelr~CertIfICatH of exemption, the Com-
~Ss;omrst gOUPt Shall aP@.At fOUr j-8 Of dbotiOA
I&O Oh011 b@'OhoSOA, irheApraatlaable, from OX@OSing
shall be d&sigsated as
pelltloal parties, ore of wh0111
presiding judge. ThO gMS1ding jU&O ulb oXl8 888W1atO
jud@ shall act in receIv1Ag 8nd depositing the votea _
$.Athe ballot bOXe8, AAd the Other tW0 jUd.@S Shrl1
act in 00uating the votes osse~...provIdi~g that in
all oleotlow held uAd4W the prOV1810A0 Of th.iStitle
other than gensral eleatlons, local option eleCtIoAe#
Bonorablo Robert F. Qherry, Page 8
and prlmmy eleoticum~ the o&em to be appointed
by th0 0O~d88fO~~8’ GOlEt t0 hold aaid 8lcrtianS
Shrl1 b0 a 9HbSidlrrg jUd&B asd u1 MSOOiate lX&O
md two olerka, whwe 00ngmmation *ball be s2.00
per day and $2.00 extr8 to the ~presfding judge for
56hag return 0s the ei00ti028.~
"The order for the loml 0ptIon ebOtfOA IA
Bpaow Countyapposnfss ore wid onlyoqa judge for
6&h OleatfOA PZWCrIAOt,this jW&e being the SalM
a8 that appointed by the demooratia oommittoe as
judge of the dewoa%tlc prfmary election to be held
OA th8 #Be &ay.ubl ati t&e 81LIDb
9l8Ce. Raoh Of these
judges h8 a ddmarat, and BILoh0s them se, I bellevo
without exooptisn, a psclnot qhairnrn 0s the demo-
mat10 oounty organistrtlon.
"liIn#ton*sSimpllfle~DlctIo~ary defined the
word Qwaotlaable~ as uSed in AFta. 2937 and 2938,
ifutgufabove, as follov8 t ‘Capable of being done or .i’,
“There UT0 quUIfIed voters In &SQW CouAty
who belong to other pwtlos thaA the d.eaKmretIcr pnrtg,
thoreme the appoIntraentof judges rron the demoore-
tl0 pstiy llOAe does hot wet the requlremnt for the
lppolAtmeAt Of SWh orriasrs 68 aov nqulred~to hold
general sleatloa. ht. 666.33, quoted abOOa, l’OQUil’O8
the appointment or rnab offIaara to hold suah sleatlon
!;~;o;ptIoA eleotlon) a8 now ruqulnd to hold general
.
**ho order for the looal optlon eleatloa appoints
onoand OAlJOAO judge foreAOhVot3sgpreolnotin
Basque,Qounty. &t. 2937, quoted above, roquIre8 that
in *ma11 preoinots (Having less than 100 voter8 thm-8
&aliW appointed by th# ConmI8aIowr8~ Court ino
jUdf3i98 to hold eleCtfCll. The U'tiale Sets Out SpeCi- '
fla duty for e&ah 0s the tvo jUdgS8. Art. 29'38,quoted
above, provides that for large prtW.tmta (having more
than 100 VOtOl'S)t&O OOWli88iOMI'8' COUl'tShsl1 Sp-
point four judga18 to hold eleotlon. Swh aPtIale pro- '
Vi&S S~CffiO duties 102' e4Wh Of said fOUr jUd43~8 and
provides further th8t IA &ll eleOtI0~ held under the
provisions 0s thi8 title other than general eleotiona,
tonorabl.4
Robert F. Chewy, Page 5
L
looal opt#loAol.4ctionuland primaIy4l4otlons, the
orricers to b4 appolntsd by the C0xais8i0n4rs~ court
to hold said election &all be a pmsi4ine judge,
an assistant judge and tvo olorks.
COwty has both4mmllpraclncts and large
“BOSQW
preolncts. Th4 appolnlznerxt of one election judge for
eaoh votQq pcaoinot doe8 AOt therefom oomply with
With p~OViSiOJl6 Of h't8, 2937 and 2938 QS to the Op.
pcln+mnt Of ofrlcera regitiredto hold general elec-
tloA8.
"Art. 666-33, prOVIdlng for such local option
el4otlon an that order4d r0r Bcsque County, requires
that the aourtshallappoint awhofficem tohold
such elections as 000~requimd to hold general slec-
t10nzl."
P
We quote Finn Texas JurZtsprudenoe,Vol. 16, page 34,
.S fO1&USJ
"Th4 statut48 make -3.4 provlrion for the ap-
pointment 0s offlaero to diroot and assist In the
condwt 0s an 4i00ti0n. Irregularities in their
appointment do not render an oleotfon void. The law
IA thin nape& ha8 been S\nmparited a8 follovs: The
StatUt.88 vith t'4fOrOllCo t0 the mann4r Or SppOlAt~
4kSOtiOA OffiC4FS bbF4diXWOtOrg. whe1?4 th4j ha~4 nOt
bean oonplled vlth If it be shown that the election'
vao hsldatthet~Pnd9'lrrcs9rovldedbylow, that
the 014cctianuaa ralrlg mndwted, and that the vote
a8 mat, counted and returned, 0xpr~s68d the will of
the aPjorlty of the qua.lHiad VOtera Votfng at swh
place and tins, lrregularitles as to tho mannerof lp-
pointing the ofr~oors will not in the abrrenc4of ex-
pr~r&yIslon or Irtatuto arr8ot the vali5.tty 0s the
In such 0~4, if there is no protest 0n the
part Of ihe votor8# they will be hbld to hSV0 ratified
tha,1110~1 appolntmmt of the eleotlon judges or
their unauthorleod asrrumptlonof authority wh4re they
ham aoted ulthout beln$ appointed by anyone.” Hill VI.
Sn&thvllle Independent School Mstrlot, 239 SW 98j’#
(sfflrmd Oonm. of App.) 253. SW 209 Xunicutt vs.
state, 123U 1061 Beaver va. State,
by98, 44 SW 8311 Bell vs. FmLUmsr, -19 SW 4
A.L.R. 1535.
Honorable Robert F. ,Cherrg,Page 6
Artiole 666-33, Vernonts Ann?tated Penal Code,
provides that local option election shall be held not less
than ten nor more than~tventy daya from the date of the
order for aaid eleotlon. said ststute further requires
that the oourt sballappoint swh offloers to hold such eleo-
tlon as now required to hold general elections.
As above ateted, the statute8 with reference to
the mmner of appoInt2ng election offiloersare dlreotory.
Where such etatutes have not been oomplIed with, If It be
ahovn that the election vas held at the time 8nd place pro-
vided by lav, and that the eleotlon vcla"MrLr oonduoted,
eta., an Irregularity a8 to the manner of eppolntiag the
offloers vi11 not in the 'abrrenoe
of exprese provIsion of
the statutes affett the,validity of the eleotion. Hovever,
ve are of the opinion that Artlo&e 666-33, supra, is an ex-
press provision of tke stitutes requiring the 0omIssionere~
c, court to appoint orfioers to hold local option eleotiona a8
nov required to hold general eleotions and In appointlng~
or attenrptlngto appoint the eleotlon offioials delrlgnated
to hold prlmry elections vould not be In oomplIanoe vIth
the express provisions of the above mentioned statute.
In view of the foregoIng, you are reapeotfully ad-
6 vided that lt ie the opinion of this department that the oom-
mlsslonera~ court does not have the legal authority to rp-
pat as judges of a loa&optlon election the sanm judge8 aa
those appointed by the county Democratic Committee to hold
the Dcmooratlo Primary eleotlon. In the event the sa11y) elec-
tion JuQes, eto. holu the primary election vere to hold
the local option election at the same time, there would be
no saving of eppense~, for the county must pay the expenaea
of ho1dIng the ~local option eleotlon, and candidates, through
the county ohaimvm pa the eX@mes of the Primary electIon
and the county oould nog legally avoid the payment of the
expenses of holding the local option election by attempting
to &&-the eleot&n offlolrls of the prlmery eleotion to hold
the local option eleotion along with the -primary election,
the expenses of auoh, being paid by the candidates In the
primary election.
We cannot oategorloally ansver your eecond queatloni-
hovever, to avoid any eleotion contest, vhloh would probably
r&se the question aa to thd'validlty of the local option elec-
7
Bonoreble Robert F. Cherrg,.,,:Page
.~
tion vhere the election offlolala'of the primary election also
hold the loo61 option eleotlon, ve th.%nk:‘it
advisable that the
ii, oomlselonere~ oour$ should appoint different election offlolala
to hold the local option sleotlon other then the election orfl-
0161s appointed by the Demooratio Qximlttee to hold said prl-
mary eleotlon. w
.~.I
Ve Rant to the& you for the brief submltted vlth
” your inquiry vhloh bsa been very helpful in passing upon your
qw8tloM.
TruetinS that we bave Mlyansveredyour %nqulry,
ve are
Very truly yours
JU’TCRREYOERRRALOFTFXA~
&dell Williams
Asslstent
AWsAW