OFFICE OF THE A?TORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Eonorable Paul T. Rolt 

COUJIty AttOrnOy, TXaYi8 htAty 

AWtA.n, Toxar 

Dear SIX, 

Rer wbrthar 

*an the ballot voted on fur 27, 1940, tha 

name of the only oandlbnto who f 1 led his application with the County Chairman and paid tlr, 

asaasement lerlwl by the Csuaty &XeeutiYe Cormmittee appeared on the ballot. Ahie Qandidate 

failed to reoelre a majority of all the voter, 

cast. There were a lumber of write-kll 06Ml~tO8 
Hon. Paul T. Bolt, page 2. 

for the ortioe and the qwstim is now whether 

the write-In candidat who received the highest 

number of wrrit~4.n vote8 ia entitled to hme hirs 

, name printed 60 the offiofal ballot for the primary sleetion to be helb oa .&gust ZB, 19&O, en& 

T reapeotrullp req~st a rulinCJ rxora yau es to 

whether the h:&ast wrlta-la omdidete is entitled to have his name printed on the official 

ballet for the run-off primary to ba held on 

August $24, 1940." 

It is clear iron the raats sat out in your lettar 

quoted abwa that it will be neoaseary to have e sewnd prizmry aleotlon to select tha d5macrstia nonine for the offioe 

in pueution, ainoe (1) the Txsri5 County Xxeoutire CorPmlttee 

hamapr~i;tiBby proper resolution,' as sontamplated by ~rtlole 

that noalnatioa5 for oounty ad preelnat offios;r ihail 2 by a nmjorit vote, and (2) no oendidate for 

this offloe received a major I ty of the votes aast at the 

iirst prbary. 

:srtic1a 3ll3, ad06a ClVil statutw or Texas, 19e5, 

provides In psrt: 

-my porwn desiring hla wmo to appear on 

the offislcl ballot for take @umml prirpruy, 

as a candid&e for the noaination¶hx say off106 

to be filled by the qUali,f&bd voter@ of a ceoupty 

or a portion tharaof, or for wwt$ chair, 

shall tile with the adunty ohaimaa of the Bounty of 

his rasidenoa, not later than fiaturaay before the 

third norday in June proo5ddling suoh primary, a 

writtan request for bL nacm to be priated on suah 

ofrZaia1 ballot . . .* 

It is to be mtea that thio pxuvi5lon applies speoifloelly to the *general prlnary*, -6 thrrefare is not Qontxolling as to the naams vdiich nit&r b6 p~lRtQ4d 08 the ballot 

for the stoand prlmery, partieolarly when one QT bath of tha 

oandldater reoelt$.~ the hi&hoot aumber of ‘Iota0 at the riret 

plrimary wore wxlte4n oandldate8 whoa38 MMS were not wintell 

on the ballot for the general @r iti8t primary. 

irtiale 1?&06, R. C. bl., pxorldrs that the County 

exeoutive conmlttee shall estimte the aost of holding the 
774 

mm. Paul T. Rolt, page 3. 

primary eleotiona aad *shall apportion auoh aoat among the 

ya;at;; oaudidatee for noralnatlon for oounty and pPeO$AOt 

,* to bb paid by thspa *on ar before the Saturday 

before l$ fourth xonday 13 June. . .'. 

Artlola 3116, Ii. c. S*, prorldes In part: 

-l?o peroon*s naae 8hall be plaaed on the 

ballot or a dietriot, wuntp, or prsolwt offloe 

who has not pald to the wunty exeeutire oummlttee the aw#unt or the ertla*tad axpeum of holding rruoh primary apportioned to him by tba county 

executive oomaittaa a8 hareiabelore provId0d.w 

The question presented ln mur rrqueat rerrolree 

ftseli to a aou6truotlon of the la& l bwe quoted statute 

i. 8. whether a oandldate who would othwwlos be pallfl~ 

to harm hI# name printed on the ballot Sor the rewnd primary 

by rea80n of hating reoelred one of the two highrrt aumbar of 

totea In the flrrt primry ir disqualified by reason of the 

faot that he did not pay hla proportionat ehare of the prlmary expenses *on or before tha Saturday~beiora the fourth 

&mvlay in June*. 

It la rlgnifloant to not6 that all al the above 

quoted provision8 ot our present elostion atatutm found thalr 

crt8tutory o&In in but slightly airr0rm roma In the aowiled Terra11 014atloa law being 2mu10 Bill $0. 8, ChoptOr 

ll, heto of the pir6t Called Sfm~$on af the ZOth Legislatura, 

1905, pase de0 et 8eq. The first l cmteBoe 0r the pramat RTtlole 3116 aboir quoted was originally enaotted as the undeiooorad portion of the followhg ~uatatlon tma 88otlon 111 of 

the Terrell Eleotion Law, in the form and contort a8 foll0~8r 

whloh subooamittee shall mast ob the 

*eooni*&Gay In July and m&b U 

ballot for sues GmiG FRybLfiY P 

tha 0fflOlal 

II. auoh oounty, 

In aooordanos with the asrtlficrates of the state 

and dietriot ohairaau, and the request filed with 

the county chairman, and plaalng the mme of 

candidates for nminatlon ror State, dlatrlet, 

oounty and preolmt oifloes thereon in the ordor 

detsralned by tha Bounty exaautive aomnItta@ a8 

herein provided; provided that the napB of DO 
Eon. Paul T. Iiolt, page 4. 

Sprolal nde should be glven‘to the faot that the 

word %hereon* relntu bask to *amh ettnernl It 

18 apparent, therrrore, that article 31lS as 

rimup. 

lp t now appmm 

in our 8tatutso, orlginn&ly retured only to the 

primary and not to the 66~0~4 or rueoff primary. 

genernl 

Did mb8equsnt 1e$lelatiuree and oodliien b 1m$ 

~titutlng for the ward *thweorP aa wed in seotlon s 

the Terrell. Slrotiorr Law the word *ballot?, thereby intoad 

to change fho meaning oi the statute so that it Rboiald refer 

to both the g~nrral and the roeon primary, whersna in it8 

orl&ml enn0tm~nt it xofsrred only to the gonull prlmnrpv 

we think not, 

It 16 llkewlae important to 4eterml.n. whether tb6 

phraee l her&ibaforo rovlded 

quoted pro~i*lon of t fi 

" contained in both the abwo 

* lmdl xcleotion Law and in Art. 

3116, wpra, rolntor to thb peysmt of the pmpertionata psrt 

of thb @nary oxpaiuw by the ccandldate ae provldbd by Artiole 3108, or whether it relate8 *n;ls to the prooediog phrase 

in the dnme rantmoe %qqtortloned to hlw. The latter eonstruotlon was adoptd In a oaretully roarone opinion by 

asslrttant Attorfay drnarnl B. M. Rowlazid, addrem to t?r. 

W, R. &IoClelland date4 July S, 1910. iftaX quotlmg thlrr 

ldentlanl provldon from 8eotlon ill of the T8rr.11 tiOOtion 

Law, the opinion roeUs8 

*we tb%nk ths phrare *aa hereinbefors provided* has the word 'apportdomd', for its anteoedaat, and not ths word 'paid', an4 -bat the 

r0n0wing rub4 hid down Fo a xm15* southsrlana 

on statutory Construction, sso. 4i?o applies, 

qlelatiYe aad qUd.ffyfng WOrdS aLld phI%SeS, 

gram!r@Itiatiy slid legtily 

tention appears, refer so i 

where n0 OOntrary insly to the last ante- 
Eon. Paul T. Bolt, pbge S 

sy thib reierenoe to the statutory hibtarg of 

krtfale 3116 ana an bnalysi.5 of Its grmunatloal 8truatur5, 

we reaoh the bonolubion thet thlb Artlole my not properly 

bb construed so ad to preeludb a abnaldatb who hbo r808ite4 

the ropuisite number of vote5 In the flrbt prlxary from he+- 

lng hi5 name placed upon thb ballot In the meaond prl.muy by 

retmon oi the faot that he failed to pag his propOrtionat 

share of the primary bxpmse8 on or before thb SaturQby bbfore the rourth Mondey in June a5 rbqulrsd by Art1018 3108, 

R. c. s., 55 a prerbqulbitb to km.ro his nbsb printed on the 

ballot for the firbt primary. 

The oonoluelon arrived at by the foregoing aablysib or the Statute lf~ even nwrb forolbly rwtainbd by a bbnSldbratlO~ of the gabral pur osea md publio p0110y Fatbnded 

to be efleotuated by our 

tollow5ng authoritlea. The 

tiona la to carry out the theory of Yea 

or the RI11 or Right5 of thb Tbxbb Cenbtltution whlbh prwla8bI 

*ill politl&l power fs inherent In the peeple, and all free gorsmmbntb are rounded WA their 

mitharlty, end imitut84 ror their bbnbft. . ,* 

Thb purpose of our general and primary 5~50tion law5 

18 t0 g&IEUWitbb 5Ud 

r 

oteot the bxbroisb of the rreb bh~iob 0r 

the peoplb in the 58 eotion of the orfleials to gwbrn them. 

our blbotf.on btatutbs we nubt bvbr bbbr in mind 

pu aee and seek to birbotuate it rather than 

reetrlet and trbiunb 'p It by bomt.rubtion. AS stated by Chief 

Jubtioe zhillips in Qilame ~5. wapleb, et al., 106 Tbx. 167, 

p. 173, 

*It is the undoubted rtgbt OS a polltlcal 

prtrtp to aLake homlnatlons for the blbotire oitiobrb of the people. The Leglblbture has thb 

authority to prbboribe rbbbonbblb purthodb to be 

tute 89 arbitrary interferenob wlth the liberty 

of the peoprs to fr6ely awoolats thembblvbb iOS 

the purpose OS exprbsel~ auoh ohoioe for their 

elective ofrlcea as they ml.ght bbleot and for 

reasxs they might be8 fit." 
Hon. Paul T. Halt, page 6 

Thst Votes oaat tbr a oan4Idatb by writing In his 

atMi5 5r8 Of equal di.gXiity with tb085 for a a~4Idate whose 

name was printed on the ballot at a general primery or genoral 6leotIon oannot be dOUbtb6 alnob the aaaiiia0n 0s ths 

ODBw Of DXLCL@~I ~8. JO xarkena Ct. Clr. ~pp. lS34), 

76 9. a. (Cd) era and c help ~6. MODbrmrOtt, (El Pbao 

ct. Clv. &p. lsd] 277 s. w. 21.8, Wit or error PbfWbd. 

In &XUM@Sl VS. JOnbS the agreed 8tatabIlt of faOt8 

btatbd In part: 

Wrb. i3op H. Dunnagan did not oolpply with 

any of the provieions of the prirmary 8leotIon 

law requIrea or can4Idste6 In said rlmary blbotiOn 15W t0 enable them to h5vb the zl r smmba print56 on the offlolil ballot as oanaiaatee and aid 

sot pay eny portion of the bXp5IlObS 0r holdsaid eleot10n,* 

Isowwbr, the omrt held that m6. Dunn~bn, hacring rbaoivbd 

a majority of the valid rotee oaet at tho general prlmbry by 

write-ln wae duly noiubated. 

In C~harp VS. fbODblWIOtt, thb UMUOlbS8iP;L @Uibidart5 for thb GlffiOb Of OOuOty and di.rrtri%t alerk io the &mboratlo primary, reomlvo4 a mejorlty or the voter by write-in 

In the pumral ele0tIon. II% dbblarIng the validity of the 

4lbOtiOIl Of the Wdtb-iZl Q8i5did8tb bt the sbiVJr& b~bbtiOJl, 

tkb 5oUPt Statbdr 

*It aannot be eaia that bbaeurb~a oanbiante's name 414 not a pear on the orrlolal ballot 

that tO5r5fmb he e0 uf d not bb~lb&d.ly 5lOf3tb6, 

If he was QtherewIse aot InelI.igiIble to hold~ths 

offiG to whloh ho abpired, for to 50 hold wuld 

be, in effect to sa;g that 8 oltlzea of ttirr rrtatb 

I&O &5&11P5d to off;05 BWt bithOP help pa t;hti 

6XpbllbbS Of SOW pS%'t+y wi5S3'y alp lQWt, wi 

thirty t&ye bftbr QrlbUWy 5lbOtiQn da 

J’ 

abiitu 

t,e the Secretary of State bli appliaa On sfgsbd 

by the required p4reent6&5 Of Qualified Votba in 

hI8 4l5trlOtwfiOh5~b not pbrtlblpbtbd in any party 

primary .* 
Bon. z'aul T. Rolt, paE4 7 

While writs-in vote6 for oandldatee at the general 

or first primary election are valid a8 deolared by the oourt 

In Cunningha vs. Xc54rmott an& Lmnoagah ~6. Jones, supra, 

suoh is not true of the run-off primry. The San Ahtonio 

Court of Civil ;,ppeals in Gunni~heQ against s+een, 96 3. #. 

(Cl) 793 nt p. 800, dealared: 

"Before a person is entitled to be voted for 

for an offiae in the run-ofi prFnary, he au6t 

hova been one of the two high candidatsa at the 

first primary, Ii thi6 W4l.4 not tnt4, it i6 very 

likely that neither aandidat.6 woukl reosfve a 

mlority. If voters wera left tree to *Tit4 in 

the name of any person they might choose in the 

run-ofi primary, there could vsry 4a6ily, and 

probably would, not be a majority for any oandldats in the a4conQ prtiary, and thus the requlrements of the law that before a oandldate oau become a party no ml 1144 he murt have reoeived a 

majority of the vot46, rould prevent the party 

rr05 maklnc: a nomination.4 

The ml66 laid down by the forsgoing 4ourt deoisions 

are in aaoordanoe with the former opinions of this depsrlment 

on the subjeot. 

In a lstter opinion datea august 19, 1932, addrsseed 

to Mr. holy TinCel, wvitt6n by iiaslstant Attorney General 

Qeynor ~ehdall, a >earfng at p. 860 of Vol. 337 of the kttornay (;eneral*s Let e es Opinions, it wa6 stated; 

ì. . l Siuce there is no etatutory prohibition expressly inhibiting the pra4tio4, a votsr 

in the geubral primary play soratoh the narmb or 

names of candidates appear@ on the, OtfiGial 

ballot for.such prlrmry, an3 may write in the 

name of ahother p4raon, an8 that rush ballot must 

be counted %IL r6tUrns mad4 ShOwixlg the vote6 Oa6t 

for all candidates includiu& those whose na648 

ware written in by th6 votara. 

*Such 16 not the prlneiple OS the run-off 

prizary. 5Qxe the purpo.64 of euC& el40tfon iS 

to prevent the makiq~ of a mlnoritg no&nation 

there must bo a llxaitation upon the choice Of a 

voter or else ths process oi voting, in the run- 
off primary would be an smpty essture, md the 

result of tho second eleot~on z&ht easlly be 

preotioally the ,66mo 46 that of the first prlmary and the promos might be carried to infinity 

without arriving at 4 majority noalnatlon.~ 

In letter opinion addreassd to Nonorable m&h L. 

.%a11 written by assistant Attorney General tipor x4ndall 

on June ZQ, 1934 p. GO, Vol. 367, Attorney ~4neral*11 Letter 

OplnioM ( ths foilowing qusation wan propounded: 

"It ths voters write in 6 nani5 for oounty 

oomls6lonsr or other oounty orricial in tha 

July prlnary, who has not fileU his application 

aaaordiw to law nor pai& hi6 lea, shall the 

exeoutlve oOrtmltt66 count and aona’ider said vote?* 

In answer to thi6 queatlon the opinion declared: 

*xn reply to the above you are advissd that 

this d4pErtm4ZIt ha6 held BbVe2’6l tiPsa that in 

the first or esneral primary eleotlon it 16 per6li66ibl4 for voter6 to writ4 in the !mlpB of a 

parson whoa4 mu44 6045 not ap*ar On the orrioiai 

ballot em a oandldate for nomination r0r any 

OffiOe, Md Who ha6 not Pfd My 666468antZlt40 

th4 county 4x4outiv4 4ommittetl." 

% the 661114 4fi4Ot i6 0 hiOn WTitten by Hiret k6- 

alstant Attorney Cwner6l S4ott 03 P nes to t&r. vi. L. Steed on 

iiU&USt 3, 1936, p. 978 Or VOL. %f3 Or AttW.I4y &iI14I%l*6 

Letter Opinione, whioh mm65 in part ae foUower 

This d4partaent ha6 held that voters 

haa t& iiiht to writ4 the ma4 Or a pamen V&OPO 

mm4 do4e mt'appear on the oifiolal ballot ior 

any given oil144 and that such VQt4 mu6t ba oountsd and rsturn made thereon. xhe departtaaat ha6 

rurthas held tbut suoh a person ii he lseowed 

enouh votes to retitle his name to be placrsd on 

th4 ballot for a run-off prim&ry, would be 4ntitlEd 

to have his mum print&d on the offiolal ballot 

ror suoh run-off prlmury,’ providsd that 6uoh p4r6on shall have compll%d with the rsqulremmt of 

the statutrs p6PtEiiiing t0 th4 f$liJQ ot 0%44634 

aooounte as rsquir4d by th4 statut4.* 
780 

Bone Pati T. Rolt, pa&a 9 

WWJ pr4oiso qumation prerr%atetl by your inquiry ~46 

b4f6r4 thl6 boparfment end anmmnd bp 14ttsr oplalan wrltta 

by h66i6tmt Attcmmp a6naral R* s . oxey to Honorable c. Burtt 

Pottar, Ccunty Attorasy 3411 Patiiolo CountJr on Juna 23, 1933, 

pa 151 Or vol. %z Of tile AthFn%y cILWrCil*ii L%tt4r @hiOn6. 

On4 of tka qW6tlon6 pr4santsd In that opinion wad: 

9~8 n460n9 qucrtion iii whether if a write 

in OmilidPtO 6hOuL! b6 %i~ the ZV.U+Urr, th4 QOEImitt04 i6 oaclp4114d to &WI& hi6 mm6 an th6 

ballot wli6r4 ii6 h66 sot ecmpl~#d wlth thereQdS%ZO<6 for the px%fiiaXJ 46 4bbv4 6ientioned 

and WU6 IlOt tb660660&'6ll f3X'65tit," 

m 6n8wer to this qi;*rtlon th6 opinion r*eUsi 

“la mJpl7 t6 ywr 6wwJdl quootion, tha lem 

pres0r1bur M Jnt a a o lAJl as64utiv4-6oiIulitte6 ty 6:tall 

not plaoe upoa tk6 ballQt th4 mm4 of 6ny psr6oa 

harlng fi&a his a6144 Wk466 Mid Oandfd6to6 6hOll 

p 6y 8u0rh 84 6 a 6 l 8846a68 by 6UOh 04atUBftt%o+ 

Th4r4ruz-8, lr a perurn hflo%ag hi6 tl6a6 nittcm in 

oa a ballot %n th4 rir6f prinury,,thea befare it 

4haDld bs soo6pt.6 anb p2444b on:tb6 ballot fer 

the 6664Qd prlnry ole&lon, ta.le‘sIscutire ooma:St64 WOUU he~4 th4 T&?-k& t0 066466 hti 6UOh i446 

66 th4p 86m t4 b4 l'466OZi6b14 ii? t0 496466 RU4h 

fees 88 preaarlbad by tk6 law.* 

%%ih th4 Et4tUt46 r6ii t0 IT&C4 4Xpl.466 &WWtriOa' 

ror th6 payznat or roacr bg a orndidats who64 mm6 4.ppeaa-6 en 

WI6 6rri0if3~ b4lLot ti ths ftrat ti.vm in the 606GU4, or rua0fr prla*ry, we belic,v4 Bh6t it ia within ths pow6r and 4%~ 

oretion af ~'3x1 4ounty dtm4r8tlo eseuutire etmrStt4~ tro g@w66tib4 9 reasonable f44 Wbe p6id,by a oaabt8et+ who60 am6 

ie ,t;o be printed on the lsecond prizarg bal.lot m& WLQ has 

noli paid army ree p??yrior to the Pirat pr2aary al ~r4sQ~Ib4d by 

ArtIdle 3103, RI CI 3. Mr. Ju6tics Eawkiaa Fo B46a4 ta. 

%Ep186, 103 Ter, 140, 16’i 3. ‘8. 101, a4Uh%a% 
Hon. Paul T. Bolt, page 10 

aoainations withlu 6ueh party, inoluding rms~~- 

abl8 666466SiWLtts 6&&6t fA6y an8 4l.l 4andidat.46 

r0r 6Ush nominstloar." 

In ao4ordenat with th4 ioregolng authorities, it 

is our opinion that under the mot6 eet forth in your latt4r, 

ths hlgh66t write-in 04ndlUata i6 entitled to h6*r hi6 na6@ 

printer3 en the ofrioial. ballot ror the run-off prlmaty to 

be h6ld 06 A U6t 84, 194C, 6ab that th4 %=4Vir f.kUntr morat gr4Out "f; ~4 Cosaritt64 m6y rquire 6uoh otmdldato ta pay 

ruoh romonable ree a6 they may determlas a4o46sary t6 da-67 

hi6 proportioRat4 6har6 of the exp46646 of aonduoting th4 

prhexy 4l4OtiOll6, 

mar6 nry truly 

ATTORWKY tR5UXRAl. OF TEZ4.3 

ATTORNEY GENERAL Walter R. Ko4h 

A6615tant 

ATEDAUG 3, 1940 

-*.Pm---- 

ATTORXEY GEIWRAI. OF TEXAS 

COMMIREE