| 1 | 1 | | By: Meza H.B. No. 1138 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the registration of voters at a polling place and |
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| 7 | 7 | | related procedures. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 63, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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| 10 | 10 | | Section 63.013 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 63.013. REGISTRATION AT POLLING PLACE; VOTING |
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| 12 | 12 | | PROCEDURES. (a) Other applicable provisions of this code apply to |
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| 13 | 13 | | the conduct of voting and to the registration of voters under this |
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| 14 | 14 | | section to the extent those provisions do not conflict with this |
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| 15 | 15 | | section. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A person who would be eligible to vote in an election |
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| 17 | 17 | | under Section 11.001, but for the requirement to be a registered |
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| 18 | 18 | | voter, shall be accepted for voting in the precinct of the person's |
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| 19 | 19 | | residence if, on the day the person offers to vote, the person: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) submits a voter registration application that |
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| 21 | 21 | | complies with Section 13.002 to an elected official at the polling |
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| 22 | 22 | | place; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) presents as proof of identification: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) a Texas driver's license, including a |
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| 25 | 25 | | temporary license or instruction permit, or personal |
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| 26 | 26 | | identification card issued to the person by the Department of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Public Safety that states the person's current address on the day |
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| 28 | 28 | | the person seeks to vote; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) a utility bill addressed to the person dated |
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| 30 | 30 | | not earlier than the 30th day before the date the person seeks to |
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| 31 | 31 | | vote, and: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (i) a Texas driver's license, including a |
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| 33 | 33 | | temporary license or instruction permit, or personal |
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| 34 | 34 | | identification card issued to the person by the Department of |
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| 35 | 35 | | Public Safety, regardless of whether the address stated on the |
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| 36 | 36 | | license or card is current on the day the person seeks to vote; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (ii) a valid United States passport issued |
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| 38 | 38 | | to the person; or |
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| 39 | 39 | | (iii) a valid United States military |
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| 40 | 40 | | identification card that contains the person's photograph. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) Persons voting under this section shall be processed |
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| 42 | 42 | | separately at the polling place from persons who are voting under |
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| 43 | 43 | | regular procedures. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (d) The Secretary of State shall adopt rules to ensure the |
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| 45 | 45 | | accountability of election officers and to fairly implement this |
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| 46 | 46 | | section. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. Section 85.031(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 48 | 48 | | read as follows: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (a) For each person entitled to vote an early voting ballot |
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| 50 | 50 | | by personal appearance or entitled to register at a polling place, |
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| 51 | 51 | | the early voting clerk shall follow the procedure for accepting or |
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| 52 | 52 | | registering a regular voter on election day, with the modifications |
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| 53 | 53 | | necessary for the conduct of early voting. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. The secretary of state shall adopt rules as |
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| 55 | 55 | | required by Section 63.013, Election Code, as added by this Act, not |
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| 56 | 56 | | later than January 1, 2020. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 58 | 58 | | an election for which early voting by personal appearance begins on |
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| 59 | 59 | | or after January 1, 2020. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2020. |
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