Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB954 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R4309 ADM-D
2	2	By: Alvarado H.B. No. 954
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to an electronic application for voter registration and a
8	8	ballot to be voted by mail.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
13	13	secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person to
14	14	complete a voter registration application over the Internet from
15	15	the official website of this state. The websites of the secretary
16	16	of state and the Department of Public Safety must also provide a
17	17	link to the location of the application on the official website of
18	18	this state.
19	19	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has
20	20	an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
21	21	issued in this state must:
22	22	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
23	23	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
24	24	and
25	25	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
26	26	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
27	27	for voter registration purposes.
28	28	(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does
29	29	not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification
30	30	card issued in this state must:
31	31	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
32	32	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
33	33	and
34	34	(2) print a registration application from the website
35	35	the applicant is using to register, sign the application, and mail
36	36	it to the registrar.
37	37	(d) The program must allow an applicant to:
38	38	(1) indicate whether the applicant is eligible for a
39	39	ballot to be voted by mail; and
40	40	(2) if the applicant is eligible, complete an
41	41	application for a ballot to be voted by mail as part of the
42	42	registration process.
43	43	(e) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),
44	44	the program shall:
45	45	(1) require that a digital copy of the applicant's
46	46	signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety; and
47	47	(2) compare the information provided by the applicant
48	48	against Department of Public Safety records.
49	49	(f) For each application submitted under Subsection (c),
50	50	the program shall provide the applicant with:
51	51	(1) a registration application that the applicant can
52	52	print from the registration website, sign, and mail to the
53	53	registrar as required under Subsection (c)(2); and
54	54	(2) information about how the applicant can obtain a
55	55	driver's license or personal identification card from the
56	56	Department of Public Safety.
57	57	(g) If the information submitted by an applicant under
58	58	Subsection (b) does not match Department of Public Safety records,
59	59	the program shall:
60	60	(1) notify the applicant that the application cannot
61	61	be processed electronically; and
62	62	(2) advise the applicant to print an application and
63	63	submit it to the voter registrar of the county in which the
64	64	applicant resides by mail or personal delivery.
65	65	(h) If the information submitted by an applicant under
66	66	Subsection (b) matches Department of Public Safety records, the
67	67	program shall forward the application to the registrar of the
68	68	county in which the applicant states that the applicant resides.
69	69	(i) On receipt of an application under Subsection (h), the
70	70	registrar shall review the application in accordance with Section
71	71	13.071.
72	72	(j) The program must allow an applicant, at any time, to
73	73	print the application for completion and submission to the voter
74	74	registrar by mail or personal delivery.
75	75	(k) An application electronically submitted under this
76	76	section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted
77	77	by mail under this title.
78	78	(l) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
79	79	implement this section, including rules to:
80	80	(1) provide for additional security measures
81	81	necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of applications
82	82	submitted electronically; and
83	83	(2) ensure that an application for a ballot to be voted
84	84	by mail that is submitted under this section is forwarded as soon as
85	85	possible to the appropriate early voting clerk.
86	86	(m) The rules adopted under Subsection (l) must require
87	87	that:
88	88	(1) the Internet website through which a person may
89	89	complete a voter registration application include a description of
90	90	the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
91	91	on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
92	92	application; and
93	93	(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be
94	94	used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an
95	95	application electronically under this section.
96	96	SECTION 2. Section 84.007(b), Election Code, is amended to
97	97	read as follows:
98	98	(b) An application must be submitted to the early voting
99	99	clerk by:
100	100	(1) mail;
101	101	(2) common or contract carrier; [or]
102	102	(3) telephonic facsimile machine, if a machine is
103	103	available in the clerk's office; or
104	104	(4) electronic means under Section 13.009.
105	105	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.