Gregg County Democratic Party

. The Texas Election Code provides that a presiding election judge and an alternate presiding judge shall be appointed for each election precinct in which an election is held. The alternate presiding judge shall serve as presiding judge for an election if the regularly appointed presiding judge cannot serve.

The commissioners court at its July term appoints the election judges for each regular county election precinct. Judges so appointed serve for a term of one year beginning on August 1 following the appointment. The presiding judge and alternate presiding judge must be affiliated or aligned with different political parties.

The presiding judge for each election precinct shall appoint the election clerks to assist the judge in the conduct of an election at the polling place served by the judge. The appointment of an election clerk is for a single election only. In an election conducted by the regularly appointed presiding judge, the presiding judge shall appoint the alternate presiding judge as one of the clerks.

The authority that appoints the election judges shall prescribe the maximum number of clerks that each presiding judge may appoint for each election. The authority may prescribe different maximums for different types of elections. The presiding judge shall appoint at least two clerks for each precinct in each election and may appoint as many additional clerks, within the prescribed limit, as are necessary for the proper conduct of the election. In each election ordered by the governor or a county authority in which the regular county election precincts are required to be used, the presiding judge shall appoint clerks for each precinct in the number, within the prescribed limit, the judge considers necessary for the proper conduct of the election.

The clerks for the general election for state and county officers shall be selected from different political parties if possible. If a timely list is submitted, the presiding judge shall appoint at least one clerk from the list. If only one additional clerk is to be appointed for an election in which the alternate presiding judge will serve as a clerk, the clerk shall be appointed from the list of a political party with which neither the presiding judge nor the alternate judge is affiliated or aligned, if such a list is submitted. If two such lists are submitted, the presiding judge shall decide from which list the appointment will be made. If such a list is not submitted, the presiding judge is not required to make an appointment from any list. The presiding judge shall make an appointment under this section not later than the fifth day after the date the judge receives the list and shall deliver written notification of the appointment to the appropriate county chair.

To be eligible to serve as a judge of an election precinct, a person must be a qualified voter of the precinct, and for a regular county election precinct for which an appointment is made by the commissioners court, satisfy any additional eligibility requirements prescribed by written order of the commissioners court. However, if the authority making an emergency appointment of a presiding judge cannot find an eligible qualified voter of the precinct who is willing to accept the appointment, the eligibility requirement for a clerk applies. To be eligible to serve as a clerk of an election precinct, a person must be a qualified voter of the county.

A person who holds an elective public office is ineligible to serve as an election judge or clerk in an election. A person is ineligible to serve as an election judge or clerk in an election if the person is a candidate for a public office in an election to be held on the same day, if the person is employed by or related within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity to an opposed candidate for a public office or the party office of county chair in the election, if the person is the campaign treasurer of a candidate in that election, if the person is a campaign manager of a candidate in that election, or if the person has been finally convicted of an offense in connection with conduct directly attributable to an election.

The presiding judge is in charge of and responsible for the management and conduct of the election at the polling place of the election precinct that the judge serves. The presiding judge designates the working hours of and assign the duties to be performed by the election clerks serving under the judge. Clerks may be assigned to work for different lengths of time and to begin work at different

If the presiding judge does not permit the clerks to be absent for meals, the judge must permit meals to be brought or delivered to the polling place. With respect to regulating temporary absences from the polling place while the polls are open, the presiding judge shall treat all election officers serving at the polling place uniformly.

The presiding judge shall preserve order and prevent breaches of the peace and violations of the Election Code in the polling place and in the area within which electioneering and loitering are prohibited. In performing these duties, the presiding judge may appoint one or more persons to act as special peace officers for the polling place. A special peace officer may not enforce the prohibition against electioneering or loitering near the polling place unless the officer's appointment is approved by the presiding officer of the local canvassing authority. In performing these duties, a presiding judge has the power of a district judge to enforce order and preserve the peace, including the power to issue an arrest warrant. A person who is arrested at a polling place while voting or waiting to vote shall be permitted to vote, if entitled to do so, before being removed from the polling place.

An election judge or clerk is entitled to compensation for services rendered at a precinct polling place at an hourly rate not to exceed the amount fixed by the appropriate authority, which amount must be at least the federal minimum hourly wage.

The county clerk shall provide one or more sessions of training using the standardized training program and materials developed and provided by the secretary of state for the election judges and clerks. Each election judge shall complete the training program. A training program provided under this section is open to the public free of charge.

An election judge, early voting clerk, or deputy early voting clerk in charge of an early voting polling place is entitled to compensation for attending the training program at an hourly rate not to exceed $7. At the request of a county executive committee or a county clerk, as appropriate, the secretary of state shall schedule and provide assistance for the training of election judges and clerks

EARLY VOTING

Early voting is done by mail and in person. There are many advantages to voting early.

Voting early means your vote counts. You could experience an emergency, an illness, or some other distraction on election day and not be able to go to the polls. And an early vote leaves a paper trail.

One you have voted early, you are free to help on election day by taking voters to the poll, serving as an election official or poll watcher. You can call voters to remind them to vote. You can hand out literature at the polls. You can answer voter questions about where to vote. There are many jobs on election day to pick from.

Voting is important. Do not leave it to the last day when you may be impaired by weather or a busy schedule or personal and family needs.

DEMOCRATS AT LUNCH

Once a month on the fourth Tuesday, Democrats United members and guests gather for lunch at 12 noon. There is lively discussion and updates. The restaurant varies each month. Suggest one of your favorite restaurants.
October 26, El Sombrero (?)
November 23, Luby's (?)
December 28, Hupei (?)

SANDLIN DEBATES

Congressman Max Sandlin debates his opponent in the District 1 congressional race. The first debate is Monday, October 18, at 7pm at Turner Auditorium on the Stephen F. Austin campus in Nacogdoches. It will be televised the next evening at 7pm. The second debate is Monday, October 25, at 7pm at Cowan Center on the University of Texas at Tyler Campus in Tyler. It too will be televised the next evening at 7pm.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

You and your enthusiasm are welcome at any of these volunteer opportunities.

Democrats United headquarters needs staff to keep the doors open and answer the phone. It is a pleasant job meeting and greeting the public. You will receive training and a schedule you select. Contact the Democrats United office manager, Maureen Hoffman at 903-297-1881.

Max Sandlin's campaign is in need of friendly voices to staff the phone banks. Diane Wilcox is the Longview liason for the campaign and will assist you in selecting a time and place to make calls. You will receive training and material to refer to. Diane Wilcox can be reached at 903-297-2220.

Contact your precinct chair and volunteer to block walk to hand out information about Democratic candidates. It is amazingly simple and very inspirational. Just try it on a Saturday morning and your results will surprise you. Contact Steve Richardson for "how to" information at 903-452-5634.

STATE DATABASE

We are able to access the database at the Texas Democratic Party office in Austin. The database provides precinct officials with lists of voters to use in block walking and telephoning. If you need a list for your precinct, contact Juneau Embry at 903-759-5555.

INSPIRATION

In the words of Michael Moore, "What I'm asking is that our fellow Americans, as the collective landlord of a public housing project at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, take just a few minutes to evict the tenant who is currently wrecking the place, not to mention what he's doing to the rest of the neighborhood." VOTE!!!!!!!!