SUBJECT: An ordinance establishing election precincts and polling places for the 2017 City of Houston Special Election to be held on November 7, 2017.
RECOMMENDATION: (Summary)
Adopt an ordinance establishing election precincts and polling places for the 2017 City of Houston Special Election to be held on November 7, 2017.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
On August 9, 2017, the City Council passed an ordinance calling a special election in the area formerly known as the City of Houston Heights as it existed on February 19, 1918 for the legalization of the sale of mixed beverages. On August 9, 2017, the City Council also passed an ordinance calling a special election for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Houston, a proposition for the issuance of pension obligation bonds for the purpose of funding a portion of the unfunded liability of the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System and the Houston Police Officers' Pension System. On August 16, 2017, the City Council passed an ordinance calling a special election for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the City of Houston, a proposition for the issuance of public improvement bonds.
Chapter 43 of the Texas Election Code requires that the City Council establish precincts and designate polling places for the City's Special Election to be held on November 7, 2017. The City of Houston will enti??r into election agreements with Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties ("the Counties") for use of the Counties' voting equipment and polling places. The Commissioners' Courts of the Counties have recently approved, by their respective orders, the division of the Counties into election precincts, and the Counties have arranged for polling locations for the precincts.
Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties have provided the City with lists of precincts and polling places for the City of Houston approved by their respective County Commissioners' Courts, which are contained in Exhibit A of this ordinance. Section 4.003 of the Election Code requires the City to post notice of the Election, with a list of precincts and polling places, not later than the 21'1 day before the Election (by Tuesday, October 17, 2017).