By: Bonnen of Galveston, Faircloth, H.B. No. 1927
Laubenberg, Fallon, Guillen, et al.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
rela
ting to the application to vote early by mail in more than one
election.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 84, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 84.038 to read as follows:
Sec. 84.038. CANCELLATION EFFECTIVE FOR SINGLE ELECTION.
The cancellation of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
under Section 84.032(c), (d), or (e) is effective for a single
ballot only and does not cancel the application with respect to a
subsequent election, including a subsequent election to which the
same application applies under Section 84.001(e) or 86.0015(b).
SECTION 2. Section 86.0015, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 86.0015. APPLYING FOR MORE THAN ONE ELECTION IN SAME
APPLICATION. (a) This section applies only to an application for
a ballot to be voted by mail that:
(1) indicates [is submitted to the county clerk
indicating] the ground of eligibility is age or disability; and
(2) does not specify the election for which a ballot is
requested.
(b) An application described by Subsection (a) is
considered to be an application for a ballot for each election,
including any ensuing runoff [in which the county clerk serves as
early voting clerk and]:
(1) in which the applicant is eligible to vote; and
(2) that occurs before the earlier of:
(A) the end of:
(i) the calendar year in which the
application was submitted, if the application was submitted in an
even-numbered year; or
(ii) the subsequent even-numbered calendar
year, if the application was submitted in an odd-numbered year; or
(B) the date the county clerk receives notice
from the voter registrar under Subsection (f) [(d)] that the voter
has changed residence to another county [submitted a change in
registration information].
(c) In an election of a political subdivision located in a
county in which the county clerk is not the early voting clerk, the
county clerk shall provide the early voting clerk of the political
subdivision that is holding the election a list of voters in the
portion of the political subdivision located in the county who have
ballot applications on file under this section. The early voting
clerk shall provide a ballot to be voted by mail to each voter on the
list.
(d) The secretary of state shall provide a method by which
counties and political subdivisions located in the county can
exchange and update information on applications received under this
section.
(e) An application described by Subsection (a) shall be
preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election
records for the last election for which the application is
effective.
(f) [(d)] The voter registrar shall notify the county clerk
following the receipt of a notice of a change in registration
information under Section 15.021. The county clerk shall:
(1) except as provided by Subdivision (2), send to the
voter ballots to be voted by mail as required by this section at the
voter's updated address, and update as necessary the lists provided
to early voting clerks under Subsection (c) to reflect the change;
or
(2) delete the voter from the county clerk's list of
voters who have ballot applications on file under this section, if
the voter's county of residence has changed.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an election for which an application for a ballot to be voted by
mail may not be submitted before January 1, 2016.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.