| 1 | 1 | | 86R9883 GRM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Vo H.B. No. 2599 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the manner of reporting and maintaining certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | information relating to election returns. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 67.007(a), (c), and (d), Election Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | are amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) For each election for a statewide, [or] district, |
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| 13 | 13 | | county, or precinct office, a statewide measure, or president and |
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| 14 | 14 | | vice-president of the United States, the county clerk of each |
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| 15 | 15 | | county in the territory covered by the election shall prepare |
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| 16 | 16 | | county election returns. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (c) The county clerk shall certify [sign] the county returns |
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| 18 | 18 | | [to certify their accuracy]. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (d) Not later than 24 hours after completion of the local |
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| 20 | 20 | | canvass, the county clerk shall deliver to the secretary of state, |
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| 21 | 21 | | in the manner directed by the secretary, the county returns [in a |
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| 22 | 22 | | sealed envelope]. [The envelope shall be labeled: "Election |
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| 23 | 23 | | Returns for __________ (name) County, for __________(election)."] |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Sections 67.008(b) and (c), Election Code, are |
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| 25 | 25 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The returns shall be delivered to the secretary of state |
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| 27 | 27 | | as provided by Section 67.007. [, except that the envelope shall be |
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| 28 | 28 | | labeled: "Returns of Election for Governor/Lieutenant Governor, |
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| 29 | 29 | | __________ (name) County, for __________(election)."] |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) The secretary of state shall retain the returns [in |
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| 31 | 31 | | their sealed condition] until the first day of the next regular |
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| 32 | 32 | | legislative session, when the secretary shall deliver the returns |
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| 33 | 33 | | to the speaker of the house of representatives. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 3. Section 67.009(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 35 | 35 | | read as follows: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) With the delivery of the official county returns forms, |
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| 37 | 37 | | the secretary of state shall deliver[: |
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| 38 | 38 | | [(1)] written instructions on the preparation and |
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| 39 | 39 | | delivery of the county election returns[; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | [(2) the officially prescribed envelopes for |
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| 41 | 41 | | delivering the returns to the secretary]. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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