Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

I NO. so54 o p lnlo lMtrulng n Artlola t997a, and holding: 1. Shoup Voting Yiohlna,upon arml.nat1on,he14 to OomPlJ rith the roqulromont8oi Baotlon9 and Sootlon28 i oi Art1010 Z997a,rbioh Artlolo lo ta forth roqulre- mntr of rotlng robin00 in Tuba. t. 0 lnl~a'uprotslylondltloaodand m&do mubjootto &ullngm or throo u a mlnum l8 proridadfor in 800ti0a 1 or utioio 8997m. . ku Mr. wlllluri Rot Whothor.ornot Slmup VotingMaoh- . * ino ocmpllordth SootionZ aad m0ti0n IS or ktioi0 ~997a, R.C.S. W&r 19 in npl to hour lottor of May 8, 1959, in whloh ~JounQuort the ORlnlon of thlr Doputmont upon tho quortlonof whothor or not the Bhoup Voting Maohi~o oanpllorwith tho roptim- untr of 8aotlona8 ati I.0oi Art1010 9999a of Vomonvs Anmtated 01~11 Btatutoa Of Torae, which Artlolo lo ChapterWSot.tho Aots or tho Tourth Uallod sualon Of tho 4lat Laglalaturo,a0 &?iOndad by Chapterse of tho Aoto y the 8ooon6 0alloaso8rlon ot the 45th LsglrIaturo. ~‘.~o’quoto tho followingPortionS?i your lotto?: '1 dorlro an oplnlonfrom your .mpartmantu to * whethor'ornot the Shoup Votlne Maohbo OO~P~~OBdth Art1010 89978 BootiOh 8 05 tho ROViOed CiTil 6tatUtOU of TUW 19eb. I aloo bodro to know if tho rorldom of rootlbnl8 Art1010 tQQ7a of tho Rovlrod CfrilB%atUtOr or TOXU loeb rould prorod hla.mnohlnabeing rued in T~XE,Eu&or thi ddflaltlonof rpubllouxb prOtOOtiv0 oountom" in Eeotlon.SSof Art1010 t997~. *par JOUZ-oonvadenoo, gttaohadam photograph Ot thd Shoup Voting k3OhinO." T&I are adriaedthat in oompllanoowith our roquost,Er. -=x-o06 006 YT. rumsty or *hia nqortment L l~o to d th. Sh o w VOtingXaohh in the City of Aurtln, TODXS, on &by 5, 190~9. Before umvoring tho speilfloinquiry00ntdno4 in your . lotter Of lday5, 1939, we dodro to call your attentionto SOotlo!1 of Art1010 Z999a,whloh provldoaas tollmrs: Vrovidlng for raminatlon and Approval of Voting Maohinesby tho Seorotaryor St&o. Any peraon,rlrm or aorporatlonowning or oontrolllngany voting naohl~ and dOmiringto haro tho same adopted for use in tho Stats of Toraa map apply to the Seoretarpof State to haro moh~maodno oxar&wd. Before tho rxamlnatlontho applioint8hall pay to tho Boorotaryof State the mm of iour hundred arty ($450.00)dollars. The Sooretaryof QL.Au~O A. Nllllui, abne 1, 1939, mg~ . .Ilan. t. I. lkto 6hll oauoo 0.14 rohlno to bo -06 ‘o bm- bftu DrwidOd And Oh811 m&O Add f&i0 md koop UL fii0 bI th0 OrriO oi th0 SoOMOrt Of Et.to . rn&.t 02 auoh ,OXadmtiOa; whioh ab~ll ahow whothor tho Liti of YOhinO 00 Usdhod OUI ufoly k uati by tho rotorm lt M *lOOtiOn w p r ir u2- llwtiM,y uador tho oon<loM horolndtor'prwidod. If th ?WOrt 6t.t.~ thmt tho nObin aan ti.60~806,it ah11 bo domod A~~X-OVO&, - mohlmo of lt.0 kind M bo ‘6OPtOd. ior MO .t llOOth lO ‘lidp h ia llOOt Ion6 ‘6 herola prorldod, WO= mklnu ‘ml fifing mob report tho 8oorot0 Stat0 ahall roauln aoh rot* mohin0 to b0 0 x8&Z W t&u urminur.tO bo ‘PDOintO~,bbtho 800rotarfof M‘tO for luOh DWDOIO, OM Ol wha ab011 bo .M oxport PAfOnt lmw, UII tho othar two roohdloal lxp0rt0 0116 l b lh11 =WbO OSthrpla wdttannport m uahmohfno, . MU rhioh roportr ah0ll bo ltt‘o h otoa tho ~OOW,A~ Of~*~tO’O TOPOrt lnb k b p t 0nZllo . & o hlxamlnw l~n001r0 tha lamoraxlo huldroduIdflfty lblthor tb’ Sa o m . , ported on ,puroumt to law ind ita umo rpoolfloallyluth- orhod by low :oannat bo turd ‘t any llootloaor p r lm l h y in the 8tatr of Toraa.* l~odon BJ Thtuo the ~Uotm4 prmi#iolu oi bootion1 a@ the Aot, of It ir rdo tho duty OS tbo l3oontmy OZ et&e to hro tho maohlnm in guortlonlx e tmlnedby throo mamlnors, one of whao #hall bo an axput in ptont law and Q&o othor tw moolualoal oqmrtn, *ho 6hd.l a8ko A WrittOri rapwt t0 tho SOOrOt8q 6f St&& Boo0uao ot tho prorl0lonaoi Sootion 1 of th0 Aot, n bollovo the Loglrlatun plainly 0Onto8@0tod ana lntodod thot tho Boo- ntuy ot 6tote*aootion in AD rwlng or ~~OAPP+~JI~ a partloulu tot- rohlno nhould bo l‘r&on, &OiorllOd ‘d oontrollo~ by the ,: uwfcmtlon ‘nd mDOP$ Of tho U‘dnu6 prWi404 for ti tho &w. In auoh riow of tho Stotuta,our o)lnlon011,th6 mttor 18 mado //I lntlralyl&riaoryAM la aubjoot to tho finding8UI~ report of th el8mlnwa provldodfor in the ltatuto; Thnt lm to any, it ! th laraminor6,oftor 8nmmlrution, a h o find r ildand report th ath t bhoup e Votlnq M~ohSno 6001 notuot tho rrqulr0wnt0 l0t Out i2tmi0ie eo99a, 8nd ii OUO~ rindin 8nd r0mt AN ‘D~WOd by tho Soomt‘ry ot St‘to, our ODiniOn dU. bo 0011- troll04by tho hoto found by tbo oxport lx wlnwe. Th~'in~~otlon 10 ha-0 88Q0 Of the &up VOtbg XMhinO ntoalr that auoh maohlno oontdrm tro oountarr. On0 oi lu0h oOuntor0la l&at06 On tho titaldo oi the raohlno in 0 position wlmro it will be rlalblo to and.in full~lw of tho llOOtiOn atilolalmwhll0 the rotor 18 toting. Buoh OOuntor,ao 8~0 lniormud,noordo tho total mumberOf mwamonts of tho ODU*ting loror a ndluoh oountor00na0t bo n-•ot. Wo are rumor informocl,and thlo OpitiOn 10 ooudltlonodupon tho rOtit Of 0-h lnazmntlon, th8tth8 opontlng lwor, *ho mwownt8 o? whloh .m noorded by tho out&do oountor. Qan OBb to mmoa wboCa rot0 la 00Ot in M l10OtlM. In Oh-t, w0 Or0 O&loO~ thAt the WTWOIitS Of th0 OpUAtiIUJlOTOr On tb PaobiM *rdI idontiod in number ulth the tote0 6ut antho m00hlno. i-J On tho in8ldo of tho roh5.110 la found wh.t la tonod A "&fly rotor oountor,wmhloh oountor, wo .N lnformd, rao~rtl~ only tho number of to to ala a t On tho m.ohino during A pmtloul8r ll~otlon. .Thlroountar lan bo roaet, It10 80 DhOOa th.t it dll not bo in Pull tlow of tho llootlon'Mr1o1.18wbllo tho votor lo rotirrg for tho ro.80. that tho aurtdna of tha rohlno to t- utm&o.lly l c 01088 lraund A voter whllo ho la votjdp, thorobyob8tauotlngtha full tlow of tho llootlonoff1ol.16. Iootlon 6 .f &tlolo 6999. a'..68 .I f~llowa: -A rothi@ uohha #ppror#db tho Soorekry of Bkto muot bo w lo na tmo toiad to mot I do foollltloaior toting for auoh lodld.toa a0 uy k lo6.llypl.004 on. b.llot lntha St&o of TSXAOS Itrmatclao parrit. totor in8 6onozrlll.ootlon to rot0 for my paraon for .4 cbfloo, whothor or rot nadaetoao~~ luidl&to by.4 gwtybut rho80 aamo la legallyen ttm Mllota 88 us indopmnbont osndldota..nd muot pa-t toting ln .b8olutoloorooy. It 8l.80nuot bo 00 ooxutruotoda0 to proronttot* for mu0 than 0110prroori tar tka up0 ~flao 8nd:ot tha mm0 tiu pwontlng hla toting r0r the ~uu puron Moo. lt muat bo peal&od dth a look OFl&oh, by,tha uao of whloh m- dktoly door tho poll6 .rg olo806 or the sparation of luoh mohlna Sor auoh aleatlan~br@.mry la oomplotod,any MO- *' hunt of the tot&n6 ox ro6lotiringuohudm la ob.olutou porontok 6uohrohlno lh.ll bo lqmippod with ono or uro protootlto oouatora.* -.''8ootlm UJ of Art1010 69!7* rude, la p.r$,.80 follora:~ =a.n?.aaof tho Voto A@ tho ~FrQ&&ion ot tho Roiult. ' .Ao soon 08 tho pol&8 ai% aloaod, offlol.18 thorod lh.ll . ~odlotoly look the uohlno ogolnatrotin& They than #Ml1 alga A o o r tlflol 8to totlog’thattho'maohini no look- 0d Md SOAlOd, (YivinP: f h 0 lx AOttk q auoh Ob ~ifiOAtgiv-O %n6 tho numbor of votora ahown on tho'publl~'oamtora.rbioh ahall bo tha toW.aw&or of rotor aaat on 6uQh mohino in '. thd proolnot~tho aumbor on tho mall tho nwbor ra6latorod ’ .c on tho protaotito oountar. (This#lao llmllbo tho proooduro ottto oloro of obooatoia rotin when the mohlnoa uo uood . for lbaantio voting prior to llootlon6.y.) They thon 8h.U open $ho oountia&raiputment in tho pmaonoe of ntohor8, o n& lt lo *a atn0 mpnoont8tlvo of a ny~mwopiparo r pm08 . laaoalotlo.uhloh .eoa to bo npmaantad, 61~1~16 fnll tlrir of 8l& tho eounto? .&umbora. Tha pmaldiry oftloorllmll andor the a&utiny'of &ho ntchua, ln tho ardor 07 the -. Diilodr.o thdr %ltloa ua u-rmgod on th? maohlno,rmd and anaoun~oLn~~atlnot tonoa theJdoalmuWn(l numbor lnb lottor 00.•AO~.~OUIL~W iOr d#eh o#ndi6#to*~a.nam# And tho kault is ah- br tha aountarnumbora,and old thon m.d ,tho“tfo j.,+*. ,‘: ‘: .8ootiQn id'at'ti,olo 2999‘ oontnlni6oiialt1QniQr torna uood 1. in the AOf. The tori *pr~too~lro0auntorR8nd Eplbllooountora uo doflno4go ~follQw*t :.q'.,; :' .i .- ;:T,- . '~ ?;"' " . 6 t~'~~btrot~t-bo~t~~~~na~ili~~rata-anmt~r : intO tho nuohlno*hioh oannot bi roaot, and whloh ro- tha total numbor bi iol8mantaof fho operatinglo-r." u;r -ho tirm *pibllooountor@ amns l~dovloola full rlor llootlonofiilol.18whlla tho rotbr la Votlly whl.h ,thonumbor oi rotor oq OILth. ~Ohla0~' &oti6ll E of tho Aot, whioh lota out the 8’.qUir~entO Of VOtincl not npuiro that tko totlq mnohlaoa hato 8 *pub110 HO& Ol~d8 A. Willi‘ma,JUL. 1, 1939, A60 4. lNntu.* Bald aootlon4oaa ngulra that A tot- rohh0 hate O- or more wprotootlto lountora.~ Thmoutaldo oountorwhloh wO rind on tho 6hOuD Votbq M~ohlno oloorlymoots 011 of tho ropulrOmontg ot 8 " rotootltolountor”88 A~fln~din Sootion 6A Of the A0t. fn Our OR1nion, mob OutslAooountorllao oampllo#dth all Of the mqulraanta lontdned fn tho doflnltlon of l -Dub110aountgr*lg lot forth ia lootlon66 Of tha Aot. The outaido mountoron tho ‘EhoupVoting Uohlno la 0 Aovloo "in till vln of tho llootionOffi- llal rhilo tho voter la toti* #nd auoh louator, lodordlllg to our informtlon, •~o~rA# 0nl7 tho numbor of rotor o#at On tho uoh1no.r Wo ire, thorofon of tho opinionthat tho oataldolo unto On r tho 8houp Voting Wohino la not only A lpretootlrooountor- but la 0180 a apubllooountor- within tho moanlug or the Aot. four nquoat for On lplniOn ~laoa tho pruatlon88 to vbotbar tho n~uiraonta of Sootlon LB oi tho AOt do not, by n~o~aury kpll- ution, n@ra A yotl m‘ohkio to hto lttaohodto it ln full tlow of tho lloot:Ouofflola 2 A o&&or whloh lUI bo so tlt wro ot tho boglndn& of A prrtloula~ llootlonon& whloh will rooord 0nly tha OxOot muabor Of tot08 ooat lt i partloularllootlon. The partloular &uugo in IMotion l0 whloh nlaoa thlo uoatlonla the mpulmmont th8t tha offlo~la ot on lloqtlonlhOl1 r4 lo l oortlfloato ot tho l~nolurioa0s tho llo0tlOn,"NOh oortlflo‘to &lTl!l&thr number of. totor# #horn an tha bllo louutora,whloh shall bo tho total pnbor of totoa uat% auoh Mohlw ln tlmt Pmolnot...w Utu a 08mrta wo biro oom to tho oonolualon lonoidoratlon, ’ tlmt thalbovo quotedZllyugo in 8ootian 18 oi the Aot dome not ox- pramsly,nor by noaoaa imD~i#‘tiQll, ~~I&‘0 t&t tb OUtSid launtor an A toting rch‘%a bo A Aotloo that @an bo meet lt LOX-O at the bo inningOf .thAllootlon. It Is our oplnfonth8t a oountor dotloo whf oh othorvlaomoots 021 tho rapuk#monta et tho law but ‘wbloh iuuwt bo mart 8t noro at tho ba&nn& ‘a? looh oldon, M A .rhioh moorer 0 the numbor Of totes oeat OPLthe maohlno,will uublo llootl0n oft10 9 ‘la to OamD17 fu14 dth tho 1.W in MklW tho lo r tlflo ‘to ropulx%A by Sootion I.& .By A #Imp10 groooao ot aubtxmo- tlan tho judgoa oan laoortaln tho u8ot numbor of totoa ooat on A : pOrtlaularm#ohln# ln #n llootlona6 ahowa by tho outddo aountori Tho oortlfloatola roqulnd to show tho *tot8l numbor af totoa uat o nluoh rohlno .in th8t p r o o ino t.” By A proooaa of aubtnotlon that numbor eon be lr r lto l dt by tho llootlonoitlol#loUIA tho roault Of tho lubtraotlonla the numbor, in our opinion,whloh la rOquimd to bo lnaortod In tho oortlflodo. -0thorlaotlona of tho Aot oponto 88 i&+rdo of tho 800ur807 OVA lumty & tho llootlonl0unt. bypopulring that A ponnmont moor& h k mp otr the flg u m a h c montho louptora o flooh mkohiaa. In i@ltlon, tho.I)houp VotlneEaohinm,~l~'OOnt~ln8 A oaunth6 dorioo rhioh 1~ loootoe an tlm f.00 Of th0 ~Ohb0 And whioh r#OOrdO Only the NO@ U OSto to g llootlOn~ This 68d.O~.Mt- ooat in A p #r t$ Oulu u~;;~,ll opamto !a A furthor hfopuard MA ohook up~ootion -.+‘. . l ~oo&Ain6ly '&:$ro ~tlaod th8t in our opinion tho Shoup V0tln6 Xao&o &hplloo dth sootlon 6'0f Artlolo 6999:,RwlaoA 01711 6tOtutoa Of ma, 1966, UIA also with Sootion l6 oi tho a#810Btatuto. y o uu o lAtla a Ath a tvo find no th - in lna vo r to y o u r leo o ndq no a tlo n, inp in Sootion 18 .oiArt1010 69990 vhioh will tent tho Shou Voting X.ohlno rnrP bolng urea ~j.n Tax.‘ under tho ear E tlon 0s “pub1P0 OnA .protootlrooountora*#o uoad in Sootlon 65:d thatJOt. \ ._. Tour0 tory truly RQCIZIT T h is 0piri.i~ h A#boon lonaldemd in ONfOmnOO,,ApprWOd, M A o r dud moorAo4. . _.