| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2017; March 23, 2017, read |
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| 3 | + | first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 2, 2017, |
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| 4 | + | reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the |
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| 5 | + | following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 2, 2017, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 7 | + | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1820 By: Creighton |
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| 2 | 8 | | |
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| 3 | 9 | | |
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| 4 | 10 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 11 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 12 | | relating to an application for a ballot to be voted by mail. |
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| 7 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 9 | 15 | | amending Subsections (b) and (g) and adding Subsection (b-1) to |
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| 10 | 16 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 17 | | (b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), if [If] the |
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| 12 | 18 | | applicant is entitled to vote an early voting ballot by mail, the |
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| 13 | 19 | | clerk shall provide an official ballot to the applicant as provided |
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| 14 | 20 | | by this chapter. |
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| 15 | 21 | | (b-1) This subsection applies only to an early voting clerk |
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| 16 | 22 | | who does not electronically record applications for a ballot to be |
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| 17 | 23 | | voted by mail under Section 87.126. If the clerk has previously |
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| 18 | 24 | | provided the applicant with an official ballot for the election for |
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| 19 | 25 | | which the applicant requests a ballot and the clerk has not already |
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| 20 | 26 | | delivered notice under this subsection, the clerk shall deliver |
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| 21 | 27 | | written notice to the applicant, at both the residence address and |
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| 22 | 28 | | the mailing address on the application, that states: |
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| 23 | 29 | | (1) a ballot to be voted by mail was previously |
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| 24 | 30 | | provided to the applicant; and |
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| 25 | 31 | | (2) the date the ballot was provided. |
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| 26 | 32 | | (g) If a ballot is provided to the applicant, the clerk |
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| 27 | 33 | | shall indicate beside the applicant's name on the list of |
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| 28 | 34 | | registered voters that a ballot to be voted by mail was provided to |
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| 29 | 35 | | the applicant and the date of providing the ballot [unless the form |
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| 30 | 36 | | of the list makes it impracticable to do so]. |
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| 31 | 37 | | SECTION 2. Section 86.014(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 32 | 38 | | read as follows: |
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| 33 | 39 | | (a) A copy of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
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| 34 | 40 | | is not available for public inspection, except to the voter seeking |
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| 35 | 41 | | to verify that the information pertaining to the voter is accurate, |
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| 36 | 42 | | until the first business day after the election day of the earliest |
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| 37 | 43 | | [latest] occurring election for which the application is submitted. |
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| 38 | 44 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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