OFFICE OF THE.AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

-. AUSTIN 

-cIucm 

-- . 

Ronorable Robert F. (Iherry 

county AttmIlt'y 

maque county 

NericUan, Texas 

D6ar 81,: OPFnien No. &2&J 

Rer Hsy.the aommterionora~..oou~t in 

ordering-a loaal option. eLiotion for 

or ~st'$ho m8le OC be+- to be 

\. 

‘x " \, \ "Questlcb No. L. * May the Coxmla(lionor~~ 

'~.O&t, Sri ordsring 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 demooretlo oommlttee to.hold the. demoaratio pr3.mx-y 

eleatfon?~ 

"Question No. Ot 'If the Uwwissiomrs' Court 

doss rrppolnt rwh jUag6. and 90 otbra and the loaal 

option elwmon f.0 hrld at the mm8 t&m and pleae 

011 the 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’aats an these: ’ In obedlonoe to the 

petltlon recequimd by 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 whether or 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 elsotion, at the memo polling plaaas &a that of the 

dmuo~ratlo priwry, and,tht~ order for elaotion 

designeta as judges for abAd loczrl option @leatlon thd saw judges LII those appointed by the 

oomty dmoorrtfo o@maitteo to hold the demooretia ,prlmary 0~ 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 l leation 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 

oplnionnotlat4mthanthe16th ofJtigiftha 

your 

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 alp not 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*the eleotion is to 

be held, the objeot Of Such eleation 'aAd ShCd1 bo 

held to be prim faole eVIdenoo that all the provl81onS XSoOSSorJ t0 $iVb it Wlidity OF t0 OlOthe 

theaaourt with jurIsdlot1on to malce It 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 appclhtWAt. Art. 2937, sold title upd oharpter, prOVido8, 

in Pa&,, 98 f01l~~Sr 'T&O Commloslo~~s~ OOUrt at 

the February term ahall appoint from aai0Ag the cltlzonn 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 reputabB'& 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 preeslblng judge at the oleotlon.,.. The preSiding 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 altlcohll or 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, irheA praatlaable, from OX@OSing 

pelltloal parties, ore of wh0111 shall be d&sigsated as 

presiding judge. ThO gMS1ding jU&O ulb oXl8 888W1atO 

jud@ shall act in receIv1Ag 8nd depositing the votea _ 

$.A the 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.iS title 

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 s 2.00 

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 BILoh 0s them se, I bellevo 

without exooptisn, a psclnot qhairnrn 0s the demomat10 oounty organistrtlon. 

"liIn#ton*s Simpllfle~DlctIo~ary defined the 

word Qwaotlaable~ as uSed in AFta. 2937 and 2938, 

ifutguf above, as follov8 t ‘Capable of being done or 

“There UT0 quUIfIed voters In &SQW CouAty 

who belong to other pwtlos thaA the d.eaKmretIcr pnrtg, 

thoreme the appoIntraent of judges rron the demooretl0 pstiy l lOAe does hot wet the requlremnt for the 

l ppolAtmeAt 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 i no 

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't Shsl1 Sppoint 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, 

.i’, 
tonorabl.4 Robert F. Chewy, Page 5 

L 

looal opt#loA ol.4ctionu land 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. 

“BOSQW COwty has both4mmllpraclncts and large 

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 regitired to hold general electloA8. 

"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 slect10nzl. " P 

We quote Finn Texas JurZtsprudenoe, Vol. 16, page 34, 

.S fO1&USJ 

"Th4 statut48 make -3.4 provlrion for the appointment 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 bbF4 diXWOtOrg. whe1?4 th4j ha~4 nOt 

bean oonplled vlth If it be shown that the election' 

vao hsldatthet~Pnd9'lrrcs9rovldedbylow, that 

the 014cctian uaa 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 manner of l ppointing the ofr~oors will not in the abrrenc4 of expr~r&yIslon or Irtatuto arr8ot the vali5.tty 0s the 

part Of ihe 

In such 0~4, if there is no protest 0n the 

votor8# they will be hbld to hSV0 ratified 

tha, 1110~1 appolntmmt of the eleotlon judges or 

their unauthorleod asrrumptlon of 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 eleotlon as now required to hold general elections. 

c, 

As above ateted, the statute8 with reference to 

the mmner of appoInt2ng election offiloers are dlreotory. 

Where such etatutes have not been oomplIed with, If It be 

ahovn that the election vas held at the time 8nd place provided 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 express provision of tke stitutes requiring the 0omIssionere~ 

court to appoint orfioers to hold local option eleotiona a8 

nov required to hold general eleotions and In appointlng~ 

or attenrptlng to 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 advided that lt ie the opinion of this department that the oom- 6 mlsslonera~ court does not have the legal authority to rppat 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) election 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 

and the county oould no g 

the eX@mes of the Primary electIon 

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 queatlonihovever, to avoid any eleotion contest, vhloh would probably 

r&se the question aa to thd'validlty of the local option elec- 
Bonoreble Robert F. Cherrg,.,,:Page 7 

.~ 

tion vhere the election offlolala'of the primary election also 

hold the loo61 option eleotlon, ve th.%nk:‘it advisable that the 

i i, oomlselonere~ oour$ should appoint different election offlolala 

to hold the local option sleotlon other then the election orfl0161s appointed by the Demooratio Qximlttee to hold said prlmary eleotlon. .~ .I w 

” 

Ve Rant to the& you for the brief submltted vlth 

your inquiry vhloh bsa been very helpful in passing upon your 

qw8tloM. 

ve are 

TruetinS that we bave Mlyansveredyour %nqulry, 

Very truly yours 

JU’TCRREYOERRRALOFTFXA~ 

&dell Williams 

Assls tent 

AWsAW