Governor Abbott Vetoes House Bill 2381 (84R)
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 14, of the Texas Constitution, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby disapprove of and veto House Bill No. 2381 as passed by the Eighty-Fourth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, because of the following objections:
The Election Code allows the county chairs of each major political party to select election judges to represent the political party at polling places, subject only to the county commissioners court's review of the legal eligibility of the county chairs' selections. House Bill 2381 would enable partisan county clerks to override the selection of the party county chair in some cases. The selection of a political party's representative at a polling place should be left to party leadership and should not be subject to any influence by elected county clerks whose interests may not align with the party's interest. Other sections of House Bill 2381 contain reforms that would be worthy of reconsideration by the next Legislature.
Since the Eighty-Fourth Texas Legislature, Regular Session, by its adjournment has prevented the return of this bill, I am filing these objections in the office of the Secretary of State and giving notice thereof by this public proclamation according to the aforementioned constitutional provision.
GREG ABBOTT
Governor
View a PDF of the veto here