OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

fiomrable fimmrable Arnold 3mlt.h 

county County Attorney Attorney 

ucntgo3wy ucntgo3wy County 

conrau , T~-e%m 

Dear slrt opplafoa HO. oFiec Whether a 

Reodpt iieodpt l.r ir 

ter requetting oplai 

your luttor Bo follova 

your reoent let- 

. . we Wquote froze frozi 

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 duw6i6 ir tru0 or hfitgorsry, em 

1s JAseticuA Prscinat Hulnber Four and 18 ulso looated 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,r the Justtoe Frualaat 
I Eotioreble Arnold Smith, page 2 

i 

Humbcrr dld not oorreepond vith the Al&ion Pracfnct Xhambur8. C~nrw it oacpoaed of tvo (2) 

Election Preolnata, Humbert Ten and Tventy, mupot 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 Precinct 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 

r 

Preoinota in thir aountg. 1 illumtroie thle point 

aa follovrr Justice Preainct Uumbor One iiontgomt cry Couuty, Texas, it composed of tvo (2) Election 

Prec:ncta, Wlllia and YcEae. Willie la Electlm 

Prectact Aumber Oae and AoiLse it Eleotim Fmt 

, 

cinot #umber Eight. In ~re~tri~y tne bllGt the 

! 

l.?xxeautive Ctittee aubrulttod the n&w of the 

caadidate for Conarltteeman U ~CorrPPltteomen for 

Freclmt HILaLwr one.’ 

, 

Thle ballot vae ueed In 

both Ylllia und t%Ree. There vat only one caodidate ror thla aftion 

prectiocrllg al r 

Md he of uourse received 

of the CIotea ln both Wlllla nnd 

kl?ae. Hovever, there we no ceadidate rcal,ding 

ln XaRae for thin poaltlon uad the grecutlve Conmittee 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 poeition. The ballot ahould have bean prepared in 

such a vay thnt the voter6 of thla Election Prcclnct oould have vrltten la vhora they chose. I 

merely used Freoinat One as ID. exeqle. Thle oondition vat true throughout the OOunty. 

n (I 

. . . . 

In conneotiou vlth the above atatsments you then aubtit the foll0Ving pueatlona : 
jmiorablc Arnold Anith, p8~4 3 

“1. c a n 8 o a nQlda tu ror l p o s1 t1 0n o n ?A4 

Ex.ecutlve Coziualttes be eleoted to office vhsn said 

cendldate's nam gods upon the brllot und4r a~) laproper 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 prsolnct, although swl ouldldatc'r naae ua4 rubaltted by ballot undsr the proper Pr4Cinot Xumb4r? 

=3. Vould th4 purportrd County Executive 

coanlttee ooiq.1or4d 0r m0mb4ra lure then a asjorlty b4osw4 of the irot th8t a full cmmnlttoe had 

LU)VI~ 4xlrts6, hmm the authority to fill moanoiee on tuch cormltt4aP 

'4. In the avant that tha purported Exixeoutits ColPmittse ir vithout l uthorltr to fill euch 

vao&ncl4c, uould the County Conventlm be suthoriced to 04rtltJ mm44 of member8 for eleotloa pzl4- 

cincta vtors no mumbcr had been elaoted by th4 

votarr of woh preoinot?' 

slnos your Slrrt tvo qu4rtlone ar4 so clorsly ro&t4d they vi11 be trtsted togtther. It app4mrr th6t th4r4 4r4 

41&t juatlcs pmolnctr in thr oounty, th, ~x+mum l llousd 

under the Conxtltutlon, and that there vere one or more O~LIUdatss 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 prec111ot 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 pmcinct 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 prlpsry 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 oamaitt4emin ah911 act em ch6imen 0r hlr 414otion preolnot, all comnittemun 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 quallfled voter@ of tha oounty, and th4 pr6olnot chalrmn by the 

rtsllfled votsre of th4ir r4ap4etlvr 414otlon pr4olncts. Th4 

lrt Icls furth4r provld4a that1 

'ARJ vaeanay in th4 offlc4 of ahairman, oounty or 

r 

4olnct, or ~LW m4mb4r of rush cosnsItt44 

@hall 4 r111.e by a majority rot4 or raid 4UOUtrve 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 

x0. 1." 

'can$ld4te for Justlo al the Peace for Dlatrlot 

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 dlstrlot vharr relator var a 44ndIdatr for justlc4 

of the p4404, th4y o4rtaInl 

I 

l hov that tha voters 

lntsndsd to vote for the r6 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. 

. . . 

Applying th4 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. 

barrever, such candidate r6sidal In Bketlon Prcolnot No. 8. 3. 

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~.b inat.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 ooiaa.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 applicable to every fnatanoe where them In an Iuproper dsrlgnatlcn 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 dLstricts, the rule my not properly apply, depenaing of COUT~B on 

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 lctention OS the votdr8, the qubllfiOatlOna axid lztsntlons of 

the candidate or condldster mut 011 be oonaldmud ln detsrtiIArL& 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 

l ff:rlaativa. 

The faot that a windldate foe com.Ltteensn my hevo 

beer. voted upon by voters outm:do the precinot In whlah he rerides 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 ~WXD Ulllfr 4150 reoelred a m crlty of the vote5 oaet in the meti Preoinot (Xleotion Pro0 kc 

‘1. lo . 8) then thervu e no OcmmlttoeMn l leoted from ruoh MuRae 

t 

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. 

+~ 

t 

In raprd to your thLrd gu55tiJn vq dlreot your sti 

;gtlon to th ova of Welk4r 4t al. v. iiopping, 226 s. II. 

7, In that oaae lt ~$5 hsld that the aounty executive aus- $ 

:, eitteomn of a party ooutinuo to hold over u&l their PUOi ceaaor5 am chosen land qu41if14dd, After thwi l tatl.n& the rule 

4 \ the Court said; 

I> l&3 r485on for the rule thet an officer XGarily hold5 000~ until th4 qui3lifioatloll of his 5uo04550r la -baaed on 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 detricum 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 off ioe, @md the reaman ior the general rule loglcallr pursu4d vould neem to u5 to bad tci the conolwlon that In owe8 of thlr kind the old offloe? 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 oapalttee8en in prrr 1942, 'ri= vo d 

bold over and reslsln member8 of the l xe4utlv4 owmlttee until 

their 5ueo455or5 are ohoren in the nmnm provided for in b&lcl4 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 ocmaittea of #antgamy County. 

i Iiavhg first detwmlned the aaapovition of' ruoh 

.i 

party executive oomalttee it then rtn~ln~ to be datemined 

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 l wt ther4- 

fore look to the oof your quertlcn. 

bV iA order t0 68t4rritW tbl5 phA8e 

934 co5wm lav of m@and, 80 far a5 it 15 

not ineonriatbnt vtth the CoprtitutloA l rd lrve 

of thir state, rhsll together vlth ru0h Conntltutlon 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 l 85ntatlve 

body cOMi#titq$ Of a definite II umr or of hsabsre 

oo126titutcn B cpmrum tar th8 purpose of transeat1% 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, ALI th0 8b88AOO of 8*0iel @'Ori510~ otherviee, (I mlmrlty of the eeleot body, 

GP of the oonmtt4e cw agenta, are poverlere to 

bind ths m#jcrltp Or do my valid l Ot* If all 

the mabsra of the rekot body or comlttoe, or 

lf al1 tb4 ~snta a r e l 854mbl8d, 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 othervise m&dated, that a bfxly ruch Ia 61 aountp executive aoanittee 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 l wh 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 authcrity 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 conv6ntio3 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 

Comlittee?* 

each meeting far the County Exaoutivu 

tie are umble to Sind any authority gem1 tting tb 

county exooutlve coumlttee to allor the couity OUilirmBn oomrens6tica 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 whatgoevcr. 

Art. LOlO )105, R. c. 5.. 1325, provider fOP the 6xpn%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 

. 

and oa;s;t;8e 

Furthermore, lr the aounty chairman 

l# Qe8t8d Vlth autborlty to make 

l aaeesmente beyond that vblob 18 reaeoneble arxi 

n00088ary r0r th0 defraying or the l 

T 

na er 0r 

the primary, then lf they could pay t Q oomty 

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 

FWJTO80 rOr 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 

.