| 1 | 1 | | 84R9431 GRM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Howard H.B. No. 1910 |
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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 requiring the secretary of state to conduct a study of |
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| 8 | 8 | | the reasons for the rejection of early voting by mail ballots. |
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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 31, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 31.013 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 31.013. EARLY VOTING BY MAIL STUDY. (a) Not later |
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| 13 | 13 | | than December 31, 2015, the secretary of state shall, in |
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| 14 | 14 | | consultation with each county election officer, as defined by |
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| 15 | 15 | | Section 31.091, determine the method for gathering the following |
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| 16 | 16 | | information by county for each primary and general election for |
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| 17 | 17 | | state and county officers held in 2016: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) the number of early voting by mail ballots |
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| 19 | 19 | | submitted, and the number of those voted as provided by Chapter 101 |
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| 20 | 20 | | by a member of the armed forces of the United States or the spouse or |
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| 21 | 21 | | a dependent of a member; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) the number of early voting by mail ballots |
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| 23 | 23 | | counted, and the number of those voted as provided by Chapter 101 by |
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| 24 | 24 | | a member of the armed forces of the United States or the spouse or a |
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| 25 | 25 | | dependent of a member; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) the number of early voting by mail ballots |
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| 27 | 27 | | rejected and the reason for the rejection, and the number of those |
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| 28 | 28 | | voted as provided by Chapter 101 by a member of the armed forces of |
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| 29 | 29 | | the United States or the spouse or a dependent of a member. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) Not later than June 30, 2017, the secretary of state |
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| 31 | 31 | | shall issue a report to the appropriate standing committees of each |
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| 32 | 32 | | house of the legislature that: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) includes the information gathered under |
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| 34 | 34 | | Subsection (a); |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) identifies any patterns regarding rejected early |
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| 36 | 36 | | voting by mail ballots, including any patterns regarding rejected |
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| 37 | 37 | | ballots voted as provided by Chapter 101 by a member of the armed |
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| 38 | 38 | | forces of the United States or the spouse or a dependent of a |
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| 39 | 39 | | member; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) provides recommendations to the legislature |
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| 41 | 41 | | concerning changes necessary to lower early voting by mail ballot |
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| 42 | 42 | | rejection rates for all early voting by mail voters and for military |
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| 43 | 43 | | voters, including recommended ballot format modifications. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (c) This section expires January 1, 2018. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 46 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 47 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 48 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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