Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1448 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8428 ATP-F
2	2	By: Sheets H.B. No. 1448
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the provision of a voter's thumbprint with a mailed
8	8	ballot.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 86.002, Election Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
12	12	(g) The clerk shall include with the balloting materials a
13	13	disposable fingerprint inked strip and instructions for the voter
14	14	to include a thumbprint on the ballot.
15	15	SECTION 2. Section 86.005(c), Election Code, is amended to
16	16	read as follows:
17	17	(c) After marking the ballot and providing the thumbprint,
18	18	the voter must place the ballot [it] in the official ballot envelope
19	19	and then seal the ballot envelope, place the ballot envelope in the
20	20	official carrier envelope and then seal the carrier envelope, and
21	21	sign the certificate on the carrier envelope.
22	22	SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
23	23	amended by adding Section 87.028 to read as follows:
24	24	Sec. 87.028. THUMBPRINT VERIFICATION COMMITTEE. (a) A
25	25	thumbprint verification committee may be appointed in the same
26	26	manner as a signature verification committee. A thumbprint
27	27	verification committee may, subject to the same restrictions as the
28	28	signature verification committee with respect to signatures,
29	29	determine whether the thumbprint submitted is that of the voter if
30	30	another sample of the voter's thumbprint from the same hand is
31	31	available for comparison.
32	32	(b) The secretary of state may establish methods to obtain
33	33	thumbprints of as many voters as possible for the purpose of this
34	34	section including entering into agreements with the Department of
35	35	Public Safety and other state agencies and governmental entities to
36	36	provide thumbprints.
37	37	SECTION 4. Section 87.041(b), Election Code, is amended to
38	38	read as follows:
39	39	(b) A ballot may be accepted only if:
40	40	(1) the carrier envelope certificate is properly
41	41	executed;
42	42	(2) neither the voter's signature on the ballot
43	43	application nor the signature on the carrier envelope certificate
44	44	is determined to have been executed by a person other than the
45	45	voter, unless signed by a witness;
46	46	(3) the voter's ballot application states a legal
47	47	ground for early voting by mail;
48	48	(4) the voter is registered to vote, if registration
49	49	is required by law;
50	50	(5) the address to which the ballot was mailed to the
51	51	voter, as indicated by the application, was outside the voter's
52	52	county of residence, if the ground for early voting is absence from
53	53	the county of residence;
54	54	(6) for a voter to whom a statement of residence form
55	55	was required to be sent under Section 86.002(a), the statement of
56	56	residence is returned in the carrier envelope and indicates that
57	57	the voter satisfies the residence requirements prescribed by
58	58	Section 63.0011; [and]
59	59	(7) the address to which the ballot was mailed to the
60	60	voter is an address that is otherwise required by Sections 84.002
61	61	and 86.003; and
62	62	(8) the voter has submitted a thumbprint, and if a
63	63	thumbprint verification committee was appointed, the thumbprint
64	64	has not been determined to belong to a person other than the voter.
65	65	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.