OFFICE OF THE ATIORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
**AUSTIN**



## Ronorsba*

rohn8. 8hook Crlmiml’Dt8triot **Attom~** Sal Antoao, Taxa8

_ **rm8r 8iri** 

ab8ontoa VOW8 uhloh voting 08 h8~0 b0.a aa0ptOa

otltw ha8 h@rOtOiOra boon followed or 0 p~~8i4hg Orrt0Or in l 8Oh g8-eoin0t
on the maohinr the rot. aa shown by the o&s, bet-on tha hours of two and three o'olook as~poovldod br law. xt i8 our oplnlon that those rote8 should bo oountad and tabulated a8 the otatut* ProvMao."
Absentee Voting ia a **OOWtty** where **Voting** maOhinO8
ara adopted **for** use ia oontrolled by Sootion 7 of ArtiolmHonorable Joha R. Shook, Page 3

89978, Revi8ed 

### awl 3tatute8 0r Texae (arr emended, Aats 1937, 46th Lee., 3u.d0. S., p. 1933, Ch. 6.9,8 31 AQta 1939, 46th Leg., P. 301, 9 it).'

Thfr statute aqnmm8 the authority ohargedwith holdingen 

### l

leotion, in WmUtfO8 In whloh voting mohiner ale

‘adopt*6 ror U80, to detenlne by proper re8olution and/or order whothar or not voting meahlnes &all be ured rot the oa8ting a? 8brentiea vote8. It mEa8 in part a8 rOiiOW8:

i6ootloa 9. "AbsenteeVoting. -- fn OOUllti68 in whloh 

### votingluiOhflr8 are adopted ror UOO, the etathority ohaxged with holding enbleatidn ahall wlthlm itB bt8OXebiOit aeterldno by proper rewlution eeQ/or 03tdu: whsther or not voting ~aohin~r 8hfiu be UHd iOr the -8tiw Of abeetee vote8 et moh eleotlon.

. . ."

Ii it i8 determlned that the oaatlng of eb8entee VOtb8 #ha11be by the II80 Or VotiIl&~Ohior,8,the tabulation Or eUOh V&68 i8 001~~O~iOd by the i6kloriUg prOviSiOu8 Oi the 8t8tut.s

. and if **it** be deterplinrd **by** rruoh

author; ity 

# t&*vothlg maahine8 rhall be used for the oast- -1ngof abrrotee VOtO8 at suoh eleotlon, a voting B~ohine Or~BaOhine8 8h611 be plaoed in the Comty Clerk's ofrim, li an eleatlon held at the l XpanSO 0r the oauntJ',

or ir a primary eleotion,and if a city or town eleatlon in tha orrio 0r the city or town 8eoret8ryend ir a sohool distriot or other eleotion, In a publio plaoe deelgnatodwithin tho bounderie Oi 8UOh dirtriot or eleotion,with the ballot ot the l

leotlon thereon as required by law and thO8e entitled under the law, ahall oest their vote on ruohmaohlne or luOhiue8 a8 the 0880may be, underthe 18~8 n6t applloable to abesntse votfngl l xoept that the maohlne or maohlnea ehellbe sealed et the 0108e 

### or the dW8 voting In the prosenoe 

### or authorloedwatohlrn, Of all pormps interested,if any, and auoh seal ah811 he brow in thepresence ot suoh authorlzsd mtohere, lr any, tho followin morningwhen votisg shall begin by the pernonauthorized by lew and Oherged aa ~tha euthorlty holding such eleo-Honorable John B. Shook, Peg8 3

tion. when abaantee voting 

### la legally txmoluded at IIEllaotfon or primary eleotion, auoh rotlag meohiner ahell be loaLe end 

### aeeladIn the mmar pre8oribed for preolnota, to ba kapt inteot until 7 A.M. at the de tion, at whIoh 

### t3 of the obotion or prinary eleone the mechine 

### or meohiner ahell be opened and the~vote OaW6886d by the Xleotion 

### Board holdine euoh eleotion ea provide& by law, and If a prlmary eleotlon, by the 

### Chairmenand 

### the Ereoutile 8ooreter~ of the ISxeoutlve Committee oi the 

### pollbloelparty 

### holding89116, urb tha reoultrof 8uoh ouiva88 rhellbe returned by 868llng end bellvertng
MY to 

### the proper euthorlty 

### a8 provlded’by lew and auoh remlt8 

### end/or return8 ah@11be tabulated and qa~88rad ln the some 

### mannerl

na~to(ether

withthe tkbuletion end oenreaaing Of the r8turM t?oP other rot14 preoinot8; however, Rrorlded that the reault8 of 8UOh 6b86nt88 vote8 ahell not be 8nSouBoed OP 

### made jiublio

until eftar 

### 7 

### P.M.0r thed87 0r the aleotion, or primary eliotion,when auoh reatit8 8h8u ba asnouaoed and made publlo together +lth 

### thagenaral 

### remltrrof the elaotlon by 

### proolemetion 02 usie 88 

### pro?ided by law. upon suoh maohtna.~and/or MOhill88 in use ror absantaevoting bolng opanad end the v&e oanvaPaed, the came 8hall be lame&Uatelypr8parad end 8et ror voting as provided by law and ah11 be U8ed. 

### ii neoe88ery, in any voting plpeoinot of raid aleotlon
or prImmy eleotlon, then bafng held.

. . .*
U, however, the euthorrity 

### ohergedwith holding an aleotion ahall progerlp determine tlmt absentee

### rotas ah611 be 

### oeatby a mpar ballot, the Oountlng of auohvote8 la oontrolled 

### by ther0ii0tingprovlrlooa 

### 0r the 8tetuter

*should the authority ohargedwith holding en l leotlon determine by auoh re8olutlon a8 

### aboveprovfdad, that absentee votea oaat~et ruoh l leotlon be paper bellot then end In auoh event the ,"%oxtF charged with iold& auoh eleotion ahah provide a ballot ror the oacltln& or ebaenteo voter a8 pre8arrfbed

sad B

### rovlaed b the to abaen ee vo

t &mar81 law8 epplloeble to alectIone9eu lug and those entitled under tho law ahell cast their vote by auoh ballot under the laws appllcebls to absenteevotillpt, govIdIn8, how-Honomble W&n R. iihook,m$e 4



### ever,that on theBay 0r suoh oleotlonax&Qin the pfe8enormoi the eleatlon otfloerr one of the judge8 Ofl leOtlOn

8hall, betwoanthe hours or E p.m. and b p.m. open the 

### carrierenvelope only a8 

### provided br the law8l

pplioebletoabaoatee votiag,macipnce aeohend everyone oi the @lootera* name8 and oampare the 8%@SatUra upon the 

### l pplloationwith the $natre upon the 6?tldavlt **on** 

### the **ballot** 

### envelope. the 

### l lrotioa judge8@ad the errldav~ta dul7 

### l x8outed, that the 

### l

pplloent Is a duly qU8lifiOd 

### l lb otor

or the pr@Oinot and that he h68 not voted in parwn et ,#a%d tiaotion, they 8ha11 open the envelope wntai.nlng the 

### l leotor*8 ballot In 8uohmanner es not to deieee or drlrtroythe erridavit thereon, take out the 

### ballot thereia oontainsd in the preaeaoe of the 

### watohare,it 8ny, aithout parnittlng mime to 

### be unfo d8d or 

### l8minmob 

### l b8ent~o ballot ah611 **b theraup**  bo 

### l

ndmaed 

### g*tlkepreridlqg **orrioer or**  8uoh votiry'~prioinot **in** auah 

### l leotion end depo8ited In 

### en **‘ Abaaattie**  Ballot Box*, juovid~ 

### r0r auoh purpose and the 

### am* 0r e8oh alaotor **Voting 8Wh**  **ab8OdOO** ballot shall be en%ered 

### in t kmpoll list and numbered th8 8-6 a8 it 

### ha had been 

### prewnt and **voted** in **person** a8 8uoh 

### 6baontea ballot8 

### are depoalted in tieid

absentee ballot box. Artor all suoh ob- #onto@ballot8 have bean depoaltrd in ruoh ebauntee ballot box, the orriaer8 

### or auoholeotlon 8h8l.lde8ignet@ 8uoh of their number 88 will not Interfere wkth tho oninterrupted u8e or votingmaohim **by** the voter8 during 8ald eleotlon, to thereupon imunedIat@ly prooar@ to opon 8UOh abaantee ballot box, oount and/or tally 

### l uoh ab8mlteo ballote, and return the 0enve8a therroi togetherwith tha oenvaaa and 

### returnsof the voter oaat on votingmaohiaea~.and on tho lorma 68 

### ~ovlded by law. 

### suoh tally end/or oount of auoh aboeuta@ ballot8 

### shall be oompleted 

### landbe aval&bla for the makin@ of :;;~~mettha time or the oloaIn$ 

### of the polls at auoh

. . . .*

??aoonatrue your letter **a8** 

### eoaklng the oplnlon of thi8 **~pertmant** upon the .0poirl0 que8tion.or whethereb8entee vote8 

### imsr be 

### lndioetedon a voting nurohlne wbm absentee ootiEg **by**
pepor **ballot** has been properlyauthorized.



### In 8UOh situation the statute dOa uot, In **our op%n**  Ion, authorize the **uee ot**  voting maohIlw8.. Eonarable John R. **Bhook, Page**  **b**

**xt is**  **0** ve6 that the etatute proiidm, after the abmntee vote8 ha ooa Qepoeited in an vabaentee ballot box*, that *the offlosrs o? suoh bleation ahall deiegmte euoh of their nwaber as 1111 not interferewlth,tho **uninterrupted use**  or votingmaohiner by the ootere during baia

### l leotion, to thereupon,

lsmediatoly iPm%M to open euoh **abmntee** ballot **bm.** oount **and/or** tally auah absentee vote& and return the
aanvaee therea? togetherw%th the eanvaee a&d retura of the votem oast on .votlng, maohlnes **and on**  **the** 

### f**anam es**  protlded **by** 6 h t lly **and/or** ocun~3,of l uoh abeentee b 11 t hall 6?ioanp&mlaand~ be evailable lor’themaking of rtt.dni~Xt tlm time or the olosfhg or the poll8 et such eleotlon.* (mphad~ oura. )

Theeb 

### provlsionrof the atatute contemplate the oouut1ng **of** abwntee votea when east by a paper ballot, eeparata aad apart 

### rrom the ta~ulatlon. oi the votes oart on votingmachines **011**elootion day, the2 such tabulation shell be prerrented
on iormoa8 provided by law, end that It ohall be evallsble **alrd oompleted**  at the time or the eloeiug of the poll8 at euoh eleotion.

The statutory’ direction thet *the orriorre or $.Jh l leotion ahall deeighato euoh or,their number as aill not interrerewith the uninterrupted use ot votlngmaohiner by.the **voter8** during raid eleotlon* is, it Sr believed, merely a requireuent that the personnel oZ the oriloere holding the&SOtloa shall not be reduced to the point of Snterferenoedth the.uulnterrupteduse or votingmaohinea by the votere on the day of the eleotion. by reason of the absenoe of those engaged in oounting the absentee votes. lt 16 the personnel or the eleotlon orfloere **that** shall not be reduosd to suoh point rather then the uunber of voting neohlnes available to thevoters, and thereforedoes **not** lndloatea legislative~requirementthat the **voting** naohines are to **be** used in the tabulationor ebaentee voterwhen suoh votes were caet by a paper ballot.

.

Aooordingly, you ore reeimotrullpadvised that it is the oplnlon of this De artment that votiog maohinee may not be used in the oount I%30 $ p absenteevotes cast by paper ballots is oountlsowhere vo ing machines **are** adopted **for** u%e, when, **PUS** euant to Seotlon 7 of .%rtlole %997a, as emended, the euthorlty chergedwith holdi~hg, the election has deterrnihed that absentee

## 870

Honorablr John R. Shook, Page 6

Totem at auoh l

leotioa aball,

be oaat bJi

a paper ballot. The oountlng and oanvaaa thereof **aust** be separate and apart rrca mat 

### 0r the votes oast on eleotion day by the ui3e of the v&&n& maohfnas, and in the mennet provfded **for** in the statute rnd tlIae~saa)(I 

### herd&above.

Your8 very truly

ATTORNBYW3XFiAL OFTiCXAS



### APPROVEDOCT10,1940

xL---+u~---J

ATTORNEYGENEX3AL

OFTEXAS