| 1 | 1 | | 81R6745 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ortiz, Jr. H.B. No. 2561 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a program allowing for countywide voting locations in |
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| 8 | 8 | | certain elections. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 43, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 43.007 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 43.007. COUNTYWIDE POLLING PLACE PROGRAM. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | secretary of state shall implement a program to use countywide |
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| 14 | 14 | | polling places for each election held in the county in addition to |
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| 15 | 15 | | the polling place located in each county election precinct. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) The commissioners court of a county that desires to |
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| 17 | 17 | | participate in the program authorized by this section shall hold a |
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| 18 | 18 | | public hearing on the county's participation in the program. The |
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| 19 | 19 | | commissioners court shall submit a transcript or electronic |
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| 20 | 20 | | recording of the public comments made at the hearing to the |
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| 21 | 21 | | secretary of state. A county that has previously participated in a |
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| 22 | 22 | | similar program and held a public hearing on the county's |
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| 23 | 23 | | participation in that program is not required to hold a hearing |
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| 24 | 24 | | under this subsection. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) In conducting the program, the secretary of state shall |
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| 26 | 26 | | provide for an audit of the direct recording electronic voting |
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| 27 | 27 | | units before and after the election, and during the election to the |
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| 28 | 28 | | extent such an audit is practicable. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) The secretary of state shall select to participate in |
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| 30 | 30 | | the program each county that: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) has held a public hearing under Subsection (b); |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) has implemented a computerized voter registration |
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| 33 | 33 | | list that allows an election officer at the polling place to verify |
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| 34 | 34 | | that a voter has not previously voted in the election; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) uses direct recording electronic voting machines; |
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| 36 | 36 | | and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (4) is determined by the secretary of state to have the |
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| 38 | 38 | | appropriate technological capabilities. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (e) Each countywide polling place must allow a voter to vote |
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| 40 | 40 | | in the same elections in which the voter would be entitled to vote |
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| 41 | 41 | | in the county election precinct in which the voter resides. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (f) In selecting countywide polling places, a county must |
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| 43 | 43 | | adopt a methodology for determining where each polling place will |
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| 44 | 44 | | be located. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (g) The secretary of state may select a county to |
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| 46 | 46 | | participate in the program that has previously participated in a |
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| 47 | 47 | | similar program. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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