By: Israel H.B. No. 2987
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relati
ng to issuance of a receipt for a voter registration
application that may be used for the purpose of voting.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
Sec. 13.009. ISSUANCE OF RECEIPT. (a) This section applies
only to a completed registration application that is submitted by
the applicant in person to a voter registrar, deputy registrar, or
volunteer deputy registrar or a voter registration agency
designated under Chapter 20. This section does not apply to a
completed registration application that is submitted by mail.
(b) On receipt of a completed registration application, the
person receiving the application shall prepare a receipt on a form
prescribed by the secretary of state and furnished by the
registrar.
(c) The receipt must contain:
(1) the name of the applicant and, if applicable, the
name of the applicant's agent;
(2) the date the completed application is submitted to
the volunteer deputy registrar; and
(3) the following statement: "This receipt is your
proof of application for voter registration. Retain it until you
receive a voter registration certificate from your local voter
registrar. If you do not receive a voter certificate, you may use
this receipt as proof that you timely submitted an application to
vote."
(d) The person receiving the application shall sign the
receipt in the applicant's presence and shall present the signed
receipt to the applicant.
(e) The person receiving the application shall deliver a
duplicate receipt to the registrar with the registration
application or sign and date the application as set forth in
subsection (g). The registrar shall retain the receipt on file with
the application.
(f) A voter registrar may allow a deputy voter registrar to
sign their name, the date of registration, and any additional
information required by the voter registrar on the voter
registration application instead of issuing duplicate receipts.
(g) The secretary of state may prescribe a procedure that is
an alternative to the procedure prescribed by this section that
will ensure the accountability of the registration applications.
SECTION 2. Section 63.011, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) A person who votes a provisional ballot solely because
the person's name was not on the list of registered voters for the
precinct in which the person voted may present a voter registration
receipt issued to the person under Section 13.009 as proof that the
person is registered to vote in the precinct. A person who does not
present a voter registration receipt at the time of voting a
provisional ballot may present the receipt to the voter registrar
in the same manner as presenting identification for a provisional
ballot under Section 65.0541.
SECTION 3. Section 65.054, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (e) and (f) to read as follows:
(e) Any voter who does not appear on the list of registered
voters for the precinct and presents a receipt issued by a deputy
voter registrar shall be noted on the affidavit executed under this
section. The affidavit shall include space for disclosure of the
deputy registrar's name as listed on the receipt and the date the
receipt was issued. The election judge shall sign the affidavit to
attest that the voter presented the receipt and that the
information on the affidavit matches the receipt.
(f) For purposes of Subsection (b)(1), an affidavit
indicating the voter registered in the precinct in which the voter
voted that contains the name of a certified deputy registrar of the
county and the receipt was dated in a timely manner to be eligible
for the election or a receipt presented to the voter registrar under
Section 63.011(f) is proof that the voter is eligible to vote in the
election. The voter registrar shall amend the list of registered
voters accordingly and the early voting ballot board shall count
the ballot.
SECTION 4. Section 13.040, Election Code, is repealed.
SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act in adding
Section 13.009, Election Code, applies only to a voter registration
application submitted on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.