Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3060 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R11826 ADM-F
2	2	By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 3060
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to an opportunity to correct a defect in an early voting
8	8	ballot voted by mail.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 87.0271 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 87.0271. OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT DEFECT: SIGNATURE
13	13	VERIFICATION COMMITTEE. (a) This section applies to an early
14	14	voting ballot voted by mail:
15	15	(1) for which the voter did not sign the carrier
16	16	envelope certificate;
17	17	(2) for which it cannot immediately be determined
18	18	whether the signature on the carrier envelope certificate is that
19	19	of the voter; or
20	20	(3) containing incomplete information with respect to
21	21	a witness.
22	22	(b) Before deciding whether to accept or reject a ballot
23	23	under Section 87.027, the signature verification committee shall
24	24	immediately contact the voter or witness, as appropriate, to advise
25	25	the voter or witness of the defect and provide an opportunity to
26	26	correct the defect.
27	27	(c) Subsection (b) does not apply if the signature
28	28	verification committee determines that it would be impossible to
29	29	correct the defect prior to the time the polls are required to close
30	30	on election day.
31	31	(d) The chair of the signature verification committee may
32	32	appoint two committee members to take the defective ballot to the
33	33	address of the voter or witness, as appropriate, to provide the
34	34	voter or witness with an opportunity to correct the defect.
35	35	(e) If possible, of the two members appointed under
36	36	Subsection (d):
37	37	(1) one must be a member of the party that received the
38	38	greatest number of votes in the most recent gubernatorial election;
39	39	and
40	40	(2) one must be a member of the party that received the
41	41	second greatest number of votes in the most recent gubernatorial
42	42	election.
43	43	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
44	44	amended by adding Section 87.0411 to read as follows:
45	45	Sec. 87.0411. OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT DEFECT: EARLY VOTING
46	46	BALLOT BOARD. (a) This section applies to an early voting ballot
47	47	voted by mail:
48	48	(1) for which the voter did not sign the carrier
49	49	envelope certificate;
50	50	(2) for which it cannot immediately be determined
51	51	whether the signature on the carrier envelope certificate is that
52	52	of the voter; or
53	53	(3) containing incomplete information with respect to
54	54	a witness.
55	55	(b) Before deciding whether to accept or reject a ballot
56	56	under Section 87.041, the early voting ballot board shall
57	57	immediately contact the voter or witness, as appropriate, to advise
58	58	the voter or witness of the defect and provide an opportunity to
59	59	correct the defect.
60	60	(c) Subsection (b) does not apply if the early voting ballot
61	61	board determines that it would be impossible to correct the defect
62	62	prior to the time the polls are required to close on election day.
63	63	(d) The presiding judge of the early voting ballot board may
64	64	appoint two ballot board members to take the defective ballot to the
65	65	address of the voter or witness, as appropriate, to provide the
66	66	voter or witness with an opportunity to correct the defect.
67	67	(e) If possible, of the two members appointed under
68	68	Subsection (d):
69	69	(1) one must be a member of the party that received the
70	70	greatest number of votes in the most recent gubernatorial election;
71	71	and
72	72	(2) one must be a member of the party that received the
73	73	second greatest number of votes in the most recent gubernatorial
74	74	election.
75	75	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.