Opinion ID: 1683300
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Quo Warranto Is the Proper Remedy

Text: It may be that this court wishes to overrule the prior decisions that an inadequate number of petitioners for incorporation does not necessarily invalidate an election as well as the rule that it is the fraud of the officer who calls an election instead of the fraud of the petitioning electors which will void an election. I would rather review those decisions when the issue is posed by an appropriate quo warranto case than by a mandamus action which seeks to compel a canvass of the votes of an election already held. By today's result, the power of a ministerial officer has grown strong indeed. As a supplement to his exercise of a ministerial duty, he has been granted new powers to exercise his judgment over wide-ranging election procedures. Instead of performing his ministerial duty to canvass votes, the canvassing officer can refuse and thus compel a mandamus action against himself. The mandamus then becomes the vehicle for determining the merits of any number of problems generated by the whole election process. A simple canvass often ends the matter when the declared results show that the election failed. The judgment in this case is an invitation to canvassing officers and boards to spurn their duty to canvass votes if they believe that there is no office in existence for which an election was conducted as was the case in Grant v. Ammerman, 437 S.W.2d 547 (Tex.1969), or the required number of names were not affixed to the petition to incorporate, or the required number of inhabitants for the proposed territory did not exist, or the plat or map of the territory was not sufficient, or the boundaries for the proposed territory did not close, or events occurred which thwarted the free election process, or for any number of other complaints about the election. These powers have previously been denied to the canvassing officers. Burks v. State, 51 Tex.Cr.R. 637, 103 S.W. 850 (1907). In Ammerman, supra, we held, that a canvassing board may not pass judgment upon the qualifications of the voters, may not pass judgment upon the regularity of an election call, may not declare an election void, and may not supplant statutory procedures for the contest of an election. (Emphasis added.) Today's result permits the injection of an unnecessary cause of action between the time an election begins and before it is completed. In this case, the point in time, is just before the canvass of the votes. In City of Dallas v. Dallas Consolidated Electric St. Ry. Co., 105 Tex. 337, 148 S.W. 292 (1912), this court held that elections, being essentially the exercise of political power, are exempt from such judicial interference. This rule has applied even to elections which are void. Leslie v. Griffin, 25 S.W.2d 820 (Tex.Comm'n App.1930, holding approved); Ex parte Barrett, 120 Tex. 311, 37 S.W.2d 741 (1931); City of Austin v. Thompson, 147 Tex. 639, 219 S. W.2d 57 (1949); cf. Oden v. Barbee, 103 Tex. 449, 129 S.W. 602 (1910). In City of Austin v. Thompson, supra , this court restated the law of Texas: When it is declared that because of their relation to the political power of the government, elections are beyond the control of the judicial power, it is meant that the whole election, including every step and proceeding necessary to its completion, is exempt from judicial interference, and the canvassing of the returns of an election must therefore be held as within the rule and justly entitled to its protection. Quo warranto is the proper and orderly remedy for questioning the validity of an incorporation election. Perkins v. Ingalsbe, 162 Tex. 456, 347 S.W.2d 926 (1961); School Board of Marshall v. State, 162 Tex. 9, 343 S.W.2d 247 (1961); City of El Paso v. Ruckman, 92 Tex. 86, 46 S.W. 25 (1898); Ewing v. State, 81 Tex. 172, 16 S.W. 872 (1891); State v. Goodwin, 69 Tex. 55, 5 S.W. 678 (1887); Burkett v. Town of Clyde, 18 S.W.2d 202 (Tex.Civ.App.1929, writ ref'd); Art. 6253, Vernon's Ann.Tex.Civ.Stats. (1879); 6A Lowe, Texas Practice, Remedies § 1202 (2d ed. 1973).In Ellis v. State, 383 S.W. 2d 635 (Tex.Civ.App.1964, no writ), an election to incorporate a town was invalidated for the same reason that Judge Todd here urges, that there were less than two hundred inhabitants in the territory. The successful attack upon the election was properly by way of quo warranto. There are some exceptions to this practice, but none of them apply here. An incorporation under an unconstitutional statute may be raised even in a collateral proceeding. Walling v. North Central Texas Municipal Water Authority, 162 Tex. 527, 348 S.W.2d 532 (1961); Parks v. West, 102 Tex. 11, 111 S.W. 726, 729 (1908). An entire lack of jurisdiction over the territory will render an incorporation attempt wholly void. Beyer v. Templeton, 147 Tex. 94, 212 S. W.2d 134 (1948); Reagan v. Beck, 474 S. W.2d 935 (Tex.Civ.App.1972, writ ref'd n. r. e.); Ellis v. State, 383 S.W.2d 635 (Tex.Civ.App.1964, no writ); Huff v. Preuitt, 53 S.W. 844, rehearing denied 54 S.W. 610 (Tex.Civ.App.1900, no writ). I would affirm the judgment of the court of civil appeals. GREENHILL, C. J., joins in this dissent.