Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2411 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R4730 GRM-F
2	2	By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 2411
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to an early voting ballot voted by mail.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 84.011, Election Code, is amended by
10	10	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
11	11	(c) In addition to the requirements imposed by Subsection
12	12	(a), the officially prescribed application form for an early voting
13	13	ballot must include a space for the voter to provide a change of
14	14	residence address within the county, if applicable.
15	15	SECTION 2. Section 84.032(c), Election Code, is amended to
16	16	read as follows:
17	17	(c) An applicant may submit a request after the close of
18	18	early voting by personal appearance by appearing in person and:
19	19	(1) returning the ballot to be voted by mail to the
20	20	early voting clerk; or
21	21	(2) executing an affidavit that the applicant:
22	22	(A) has not received the ballot to be voted by
23	23	mail; [or]
24	24	(B) never requested a ballot to be voted by mail;
25	25	or
26	26	(C) received notice of a defect under Section
27	27	87.0271(b) or 87.0411(b).
28	28	SECTION 3. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by
29	29	adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
30	30	(f) If the application includes a change of address within
31	31	the county, the early voting clerk shall notify the voter registrar
32	32	of the change and the registrar shall update the voter's
33	33	registration accordingly.
34	34	SECTION 4. Section 86.002, Election Code, is amended by
35	35	adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
36	36	(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the clerk is not
37	37	required to provide a form for a statement of residence to a voter
38	38	who indicated a change of address within the county on the voter's
39	39	application for an early voting ballot to be voted by mail.
40	40	SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
41	41	amended by adding Section 87.0271 to read as follows:
42	42	Sec. 87.0271. OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT DEFECT: SIGNATURE
43	43	VERIFICATION COMMITTEE. (a) This section applies to an early
44	44	voting ballot voted by mail:
45	45	(1) for which the voter did not sign the carrier
46	46	envelope certificate;
47	47	(2) for which it cannot immediately be determined
48	48	whether the signature on the carrier envelope certificate is that
49	49	of the voter;
50	50	(3) missing any required statement of residence; or
51	51	(4) containing incomplete information with respect to
52	52	a witness.
53	53	(b) Before deciding whether to accept or reject a timely
54	54	delivered ballot under Section 87.027, the signature verification
55	55	committee may:
56	56	(1) return the carrier envelope to the voter by mail,
57	57	if the signature verification committee determines that it would be
58	58	possible to correct the defect and return the carrier envelope
59	59	before the time the polls are required to close on election day; or
60	60	(2) notify the voter of the defect by telephone or
61	61	e-mail and inform the voter that the voter may come to the early
62	62	voting clerk's office in person to:
63	63	(A) correct the defect; or
64	64	(B) request to have the voter's application to
65	65	vote by mail canceled under Section 84.032.
66	66	(c) If the signature verification committee takes an action
67	67	described by Subsection (b), the committee must take either action
68	68	described by that subsection with respect to each ballot in the
69	69	election to which this section applies.
70	70	(d) A poll watcher is entitled to observe an action taken
71	71	under Subsection (b).
72	72	(e) The secretary of state may prescribe any procedures
73	73	necessary to implement this section.
74	74	SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
75	75	amended by adding Section 87.0411 to read as follows:
76	76	Sec. 87.0411. OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT DEFECT: EARLY VOTING
77	77	BALLOT BOARD. (a) This section applies to an early voting ballot
78	78	voted by mail:
79	79	(1) for which the voter did not sign the carrier
80	80	envelope certificate;
81	81	(2) for which it cannot immediately be determined
82	82	whether the signature on the carrier envelope certificate is that
83	83	of the voter;
84	84	(3) missing any required statement of residence; or
85	85	(4) containing incomplete information with respect to
86	86	a witness.
87	87	(b) Before deciding whether to accept or reject a timely
88	88	delivered ballot under Section 87.041, the early voting ballot
89	89	board may:
90	90	(1) return the carrier envelope to the voter by mail,
91	91	if the early voting ballot board determines that it would be
92	92	possible to correct the defect and return the carrier envelope
93	93	before the time the polls are required to close on election day; or
94	94	(2) notify the voter of the defect by telephone or
95	95	e-mail and inform the voter that the voter may come to the early
96	96	voting clerk's office in person to:
97	97	(A) correct the defect; or
98	98	(B) request to have the voter's application to
99	99	vote by mail canceled under Section 84.032.
100	100	(c) If the early voting ballot board takes an action
101	101	described by Subsection (b), the board must take either action
102	102	described by that subsection with respect to each ballot in the
103	103	election to which this section applies.
104	104	(d) A poll watcher is entitled to observe an action taken
105	105	under Subsection (b).
106	106	(e) The secretary of state may prescribe any procedures
107	107	necessary to implement this section.
108	108	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.