**OFFICE OF**  **THE AlTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**
**AUSTIN**

fiomrable Arnold 3mlt.h fimmrable 

### county Attorney CountyAttorney 

### ucntgo3wy County ucntgo3wy

conrau , T~-e%m

Dear slrt opplafoa HO. oFiec Whether a

iieodpt l.r Reodpt ir ter requetting oplai your luttor Bofollova your reoent let-



### . . 

### wequote 

### frozi W froze

on ttla ballot Hwbur ,rat.&r than Iumber. la SW Hunlbur 18 tlm a&me 2. A8 for example, alaat Aumbur Oneend Willie tiau Freslnot maber One. ao quertloa but v&t the !knn thir vealnot has baca duw6i6 ir **tru0 or**  hfitgorsry, em 1s JAseticuAPrscinat HulnberFour and 18 ulso lo

### oatedLaJwtlas PreoiDat IIuder Four. Thlr VLU true of five (5) Oaaoitteemen eleoted throughout the county. 

### lhe;rname8vent 

### oa tbuballotat Coemlttcemen fron their proper XLoction Praolnoti. 

### Hovover,inmast 

### iaatance,r the 

### JusttoeFrualaat

# I Eotioreble Arnold Smith, page 2 i
Humbcrrdld 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 Numb8rseven. There 

### vas only one u&meprlnted on the tmllot for Comae. Thia namevent on the ballot ae Cuveitteeman for Precinct Uumber 4evdu. iileotion Preolmt &evenhappena to be Xev Cmey snd not conro%. The quoation bee arleen 

### et to vhcthcr three menrho 

### verupurportedly elected, tteZr name having been plaoad w the ballot under Justice Precinct ltumberaratlmr 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 

### voterrin 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 

### oftvo 

### (2)Election

Prec:ncta, Wlllia andYcEae. Willie la Electlm Prectact AumberOaeand AoiLseit 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 undt%Ree. There 

### vat only one caodidate ror thla aftion prectiocrllg alr Md he of uourse received

of the CIotealn 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,nyuaderatandhig that thio should have been done even thou@ no eaadidata filed for tblr poeition. Theballot ahould have bean prepared in such avay thnt the voter6 of thla Election Prcclnct oould have vrltten la vhorathey 

### 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. can 8 oanQldaturor l p os1t10non ?A4 Ex.ecutlveCoziualttes 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 naaeua4 rubaltted **by** ballot undsr the proper Pr4Cinot Xumb4r?
=3. Vould th4 purportrd County Executive coanlttee ooiq.1or4d0r 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 

### irvithoutl uthorltr to filleuch vao&ncl4c, uould the County Conventlm be suthoriced to 04rtltJ mm44 of member8 for eleotloa pzl4- cincta vtors no mumbcrhad 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 numberoorreepomle 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 prec111otwith nunberr oorrerpondlng to tha jwtlcr prsalnote in v%cl: auoh el4otlon preainotr are loo&ted. Sin04them ar4 0-1~ c~&htjustlo ppeainots, ther4 mnnln twelve 

### 616otlon Frt3cinct8 with number4not oorr4rpondlng to any $l4t104 pmcinctnumber, them being twenty 414atloii precincts.

Artha 3118, R. c. S. or 1925, ~COVM~Ithat 

### 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;rcaoh sleotlon praeinat. !Ph4proclmt oamaitt4e

### minah911 act 

### emch6imen 0r 

### hlr 414otion 

### preolnot, all comnittemun to be slecttd on the g4nerU prim6ry election d&y: Eonorabl4 Arnold Smith, p4g4 4



### bythequallflsd 

### votw8, andth4 

### oountyohMman by th4 

### quallfled voter@ 

### of tha oounty, and th4 pr6olnot chalrmn by 

### the rtsllfled



### votsreof th4ir r4ap4etlvr 414otlon pr4olncts. Th4 

### lrtIcls furth4r provld4a that1

'ARJ vaeanay in th4 offlc4 of ahairman, ooun

### tyor r 4olnct, or ~LW m4mb4rof rush cosnsItt44 @hall 4 r111.e by a majority rot4 or raid 4UOUtrve CaQmltt44:

In th4 44rly 44m4 of 

### State4x rel Eertcrday v. -4, 44II. W. 874, 

### by tb4 Suprrm 

### Courtof Nebraska, the relator 4as a candidate for Just104 OSthe Peacefor tha 3rd District. m candidate reelded In the 3rd Mstrlct and was vot4d upon bythe pople of th4 3rd Dletrlct. In some of the polling placct In ths 3rd Dlrtrlct the candfdate*s nsm4~4s plaosd on t?ulballot as x0. 1." 'can$ld4te for Justlo al the 

### Peacefor Dlatrlot

Ths CoWt, 

### Inholding 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 

### peaceof the 

### blstrlotln vhloh they ware aant. Therordr '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 andreo4Ived 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 

### therot& 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- nonIn eaoh oi suoh 

### prealnatathen 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. 7an4 that there ~88 only one nameprlatad on the ballot for Jwtloo Preainct No. 7. You

### rtnte thatBiectlon Pru0lllete ~os. 10and 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 

### theduly 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&yhave 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.ntwo or awe judlclal districts and there &rs candidatea for district jud&ofor 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&oprecinct or dirtriot from vhich he lr 8 candidate, the lctentionOS the votdr8, the qubllfiOatlOna axidlztsntlons 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~ldemahould not be counted for ar a&alnst Mm. Is? **almnot** beelcoted 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&e6

**If** 8wh Oandldrte ~WXD Ulllfr 4150 reoelred a m crlty of the vote5 oaet in the meti Preoinot (Xleotion Pro0kc

**‘ 1.**  lo.

8)then

there vuno**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 

### Lntheafflrratlte. +~
t In raprd to yourthLrd gu55tiJn vq dlreot your sti ;gtlon to th ova of Welk4r 4t al. v. iiopping, 226s. 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 landqu41if14dd, 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, 

### itso3jeot 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 offioe, @mdthe reamanior 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 

### byhlr 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 

### prrr 'ri= cinattvhlahdidnoteleotmy oapalttee8enin1942,vo 

### d boldover and reslsln member8 of the l

xe4utlv4 owmlttee until their 5ueo455or5 are ohoren in the nmnm provided for in b&l

### cl43116,rupra. Th4

### oandldatem50 cleated in 19ka together 

### withthe hold-over5 from eleotlon &@eoJmot8not sleGt* uy com5ltt445mn Ln1942vould 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 

### ordert0 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 1x1force wtil altered 0r repealed by the Lagirlaturr

.' In **Voluw** 35 of Wards and Phrasco, page 672, thy rule 55tc; **vhat** shsll oomttitute a quorumat oo5monlnv 15 sttted a5 rollour:

‘UAaer the oomao~ lav rule, a 555jorlty of the authorilted meber8h.t~ 

### of a re l 85ntatlve body cOMi#titq$ Ofa definite II umr or of hsabsre oo126titutcnB cpmrumtar th8 purpose of transeat1% biUJb458." (BBphaS15 OUX’I ) In the oa5e of Unlt4d States ve &llln, Jweph and Co,, 12 SirCt. 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 ~tpybe 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 8b88AOOof 8*0iel @'Ori510~ otherviee, (Imlmrlty of the eeleot body, GP of the oonmtt4e cw agenta, are poverlere to bind ths m#jcrltp Ordo my valid l Ot* If all the mabsra of the rekot body or comlttoe, or lf al1 tb4 ~snta are l 854mbl8d, or If all have been duly nstlfi+d, **&ad** the tiAOrity refure GC ae&lcot to met vlth **the** otherer 4Mjorlty of tho84 WeeeAt 5my act, provided tho58 pe8eAt colutitute a arrrjorlty 0s thevholr nuab*r. Xn other voF(I5, in rwh aare, a major part of the vhol.6 18 A4OeDDAry t0 COA5titUte A QUOrU25,5AdEonorable Arnold &%ltll, pago 8

a lanjority of tha Quorummayeat. If the melor part rlthdrau to a8 to lee** noquorum, 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 an7valid notion butlers a srajorilcy of the auth~rlsed maaberehip be present

. ln l’iont&otaaryCounty the euti=;rirsd mnberehip of the county eseout.ive committoe Is tvent;l. Exxefme In order for lwh oonmittee to teka any valhi sctk;. It 18nscersary th8t et leaot elsven membersbe -II;:. Yeasro therefore bdvleed, in enawer to your third ~~~cEio~, that a oo~ty exeoutlve OaeraLttee does not hsve authcrity to fill vamnolaa on ruch ocmznlttreu~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 Cour1tycuairrcaa 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 OUilirmBnoomrens6tica for hlc rervloaa rnadured In 8uc.hcepaclty. 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 dLdnot go SOfar, hwavec, as to hold tflc'*aald ch72irmm Lanot entitled t0 a4 cmpenaation whatgoevcr. Art.LOlO)105, R. c. 5.. 1325, provider fOP the 6xpn%sr OfJ:rlai%rydectlont. 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 Cm511v. 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 laaeesmente beyond that vblob 18reaeoneble arxi 

## n00088ary r0r th0 defraying 

### or the lT naer 0r the primary, then lf they could pay t Q oomty ahalroen an annual salary they aould just (~8veil paythe oarlow memberr or the cotsuittau e eaiary and this vouli? mmkeit prohibitive on the CUM:- deter to anriounamr0r ofriae end heve tLair name8 pl8oed on the ticket, thw d8rtroyiq the very FWJTO80

rOrvbich the County Cl-&irmBnand the coaaalttcc efi8tlJ.* It is thdrerora the OFidOl; of thla dcparruent timt thechalnaaclot the County8reoutiva comittao ia not entitled to any coqwmtion tor his rerviaca rendwad in much OfriCl81 copeity. 

### Yours vcrg truly

.