Relating to ineligibility to serve as a poll watcher.

Contracts

• Vendor MSAs: If you outsource election operations to political consulting firms, amend Master Services Agreements to include a warranty clause. The vendor must certify that all supplied watchers have been vetted for first and second-degree felonies.
• Volunteer Agreements: Update volunteer codes of conduct to include a specific attestation regarding felony history, shifting liability for falsification to the individual.

Hiring/Training

• Enhanced Screening: Standard "no election fraud" background checks are no longer sufficient. Screening criteria must specifically flag Texas Penal Code first and second-degree felonies (e.g., aggravated assault, arson).
• Intake Scripts: Update recruitment scripts to explicitly ask: *"Have you ever been finally convicted of a first or second-degree felony?"*
• Field Verification: Train field directors to reject any volunteer who cannot sign the updated affidavit in good faith.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Certificate of Appointment: This is the critical compliance document. You must destroy legacy templates. The new form must contain a sworn affidavit pursuant to Section 33.006(b) stating the appointee has not been finally convicted of a first or second-degree felony.
• Document Retention: Maintain copies of these signed affidavits post-election in case of challenges regarding watcher eligibility.

Fees & Costs

• Background Check Costs: Anticipate a marginal increase in operational costs to conduct more granular criminal history searches (county-level vs. basic national database) to ensure accurate classification of felonies.