86R4750 SRS-D
By: Bucy H.B. No. 933
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to posting of election information on the secretary of
state's and each county's Internet website.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 4.003(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) In addition to any other notice given for an election
under Subsection (a), not later than the 21st day before election
day, the authority responsible for giving notice of the election
shall post a copy of the notice, which must include the location of
each polling place, on the county's Internet website and may post a
copy of the notice on the bulletin board used for posting notices of
the meetings of the governing body of the political subdivision
that the authority serves. For each precinct that is combined to
form a consolidated precinct under Section 42.008, not later than
the 10th day before election day, the authority shall also post, at
the polling place used in the preceding general election, notice of
the precinct's consolidation and the location of the polling place
in the consolidated precinct. A notice posted under this
subsection must remain posted continuously through election day.
SECTION 2. Section 31.012(a), Election Code, as effective
September 1, 2020, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The secretary of state and the voter registrar of each
county [that maintains a website] shall provide notice of the
identification requirements for voting prescribed by Chapter 63 and
that straight ticket voting has been eliminated pursuant to H.B.
25, Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, on each
entity's respective website in each language in which voter
registration and election materials are available. The secretary
of state shall prescribe the wording of the notice to be included on
the websites.
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 31.016 to read as follows:
Sec. 31.016. VOTER INFORMATION ON SECRETARY OF STATE'S
WEBSITE. (a) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures
requiring the county officer responsible for administering
elections to submit contact information of the county election
office to the secretary of state for inclusion on the secretary of
state's Internet website, including:
(1) the street address and zip code;
(2) the mailing address if different from the address
provided in Subdivision (1);
(3) telephone number;
(4) facsimile number; and
(5) e-mail address.
(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures
requiring each entity designating the location of a polling place,
including an early voting polling place, to submit information on
the location to the secretary of state for inclusion on the
secretary of state's Internet website.
(c) For each polling place the information submitted must
include:
(1) the name of the building in which the polling place
is located, if available;
(2) the street address and zip code of the polling
place; and
(3) the days and hours of voting at each location.
(d) The polling information under Subsection (c) shall be
posted on the secretary of state's Internet website in a
downloadable format.
SECTION 4. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 31.125 to read as follows:
Sec. 31.125. COUNTY WEBSITE. (a) The county officer
responsible for administering elections shall post on the county's
Internet website contact information for the county election office
including:
(1) the street address and zip code;
(2) the mailing address if different from the address
provided in Subdivision (1);
(3) telephone number;
(4) facsimile number; and
(5) e-mail address.
(b) For each polling place located in the county, the county
shall post on the county's Internet website:
(1) the name of the building in which the polling place
is located, if available;
(2) the street address and zip code of the polling
place; and
(3) the days and hours of voting at each location.
SECTION 5. Section 32.114(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) The county clerk shall:
(1) post a notice of the time and place of each session
on the county's Internet website and may post the notice on the
bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the
commissioners court and shall include on the notice a statement
that the program is open to the public;
(2) notify each presiding judge appointed by the
commissioners court of the time and place of each session and of the
duty of each election judge to complete the training program;
(3) notify the county chair of each political party in
the county of the time and place of each session; and
(4) notify the voter registrar of the date, hour, and
place of each session.
SECTION 6. Section 42.035(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Beginning with the first week following the week in
which an order changing a county election precinct boundary is
adopted, the commissioners court shall publish notice of the
change:
(1) in a newspaper in the county once a week for three
consecutive weeks; and
(2) on the county's Internet website for three
consecutive weeks.
SECTION 7. Section 43.061(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) Notice required by Subsection (b) must be given by:
(1) notifying each candidate whose name appears on the
ballot in the election or, in the case of an office filled by voters
of more than one county, notifying the county chair or, for an
independent candidate, the county judge of the county in which the
change occurs; or
(2) posting the notice in a listing used specifically
to inform the public of changes to the location of a polling place
on the [any] Internet website that the county clerk maintains to
provide information on elections held in the county.
SECTION 8. Section 66.059, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
follows:
(b) If the political subdivision holding the election is not
a county, the [The] district judge shall post a notice of the date,
hour, and place for opening the box on the bulletin board used for
posting notices of the meetings of the governing body of the
political subdivision served by the general custodian of election
records. The notice must remain posted continuously for the 24
hours immediately preceding the hour set for opening the box.
(b-1) If the political subdivision holding the election is a
county, the district judge shall post a notice of the date, hour,
and place for opening the box on the county's Internet website. The
notice must remain posted continuously for the 24 hours preceding
the hour set for opening the box.
SECTION 9. Section 67.012(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The secretary of state shall post, on the secretary of
state's Internet website [bulletin board used for posting notice of
meetings of state governmental bodies], a notice of the date, hour,
and place of the canvass at least 72 hours before the canvass is
conducted.
SECTION 10. Section 85.007(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) Notice under Subsection (b) shall be posted
continuously for at least 72 hours immediately preceding the first
hour that the voting to which the notice pertains will be conducted.
The notice shall be posted on:
(1) the bulletin board used for posting notice of
meetings of the [commissioners court if the early voting clerk is
the county clerk, or of the] city governing body if the early voting
clerk is the city secretary; or
(2) the county's Internet website if the early voting
clerk is the county clerk.
SECTION 11. Section 85.067(d), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) The schedule shall be posted on:
(1) the bulletin board used for posting notice of
meetings of the governing body of the political subdivision served
by the authority ordering the election or, if the early voting clerk
is the [county clerk or] city secretary, meetings of the
[commissioners court or] city governing body; or
(2) the county's Internet website if the early voting
clerk is the county clerk [, as applicable].
SECTION 12. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (k) and adding Subsection (k-1) to read as
follows:
(k) Postings required by this section shall be made on the
bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the
[commissioners court, in an election for which the county election
board is established or a primary election, or of the] governing
body of the political subdivision in an election other than an
election for which the county election board is established or a
primary election [other elections].
(k-1) Postings required by this section shall be made on the
county's Internet website in an election for which the county
election board is established or a primary election.
SECTION 13. Section 172.113(d), Election Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(d) The authority shall make periodic announcements of the
current state of the tabulation, including by posting the
announcements on the Internet website of the county[, if the county
maintains a website].
SECTION 14. Section 181.006(k), Election Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(k) The secretary of state shall post a notice of the
receipt of a petition on the secretary of state's Internet website
and may post the notice on a bulletin board used for posting notice
of meetings of state governmental bodies. Any person may challenge
the validity of the petition by filing a written statement of the
challenge with the secretary of state not later than the fifth day
after the date notice is posted. The secretary of state may verify
the petition signatures regardless of whether the petition is
timely challenged.
SECTION 15. Section 203.012(c), Election Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) The secretary of state shall post, on the secretary of
state's Internet website [bulletin board used for posting notice of
meetings of state governmental bodies], a notice of the date, hour,
and place of the canvass at least 24 hours before the canvass is
conducted.
SECTION 16. Section 274.002(c), Election Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) The secretary of state shall post on the secretary of
state's Internet website and may post on a bulletin board for
posting notice of a meeting of a state governmental body a notice of
the date, hour, and place of the drawing. The notice must remain
posted continuously for 72 hours immediately preceding the
scheduled time of the drawing.
SECTION 17. (a) Not later than September 1, 2019, the
secretary of state shall post the information as required by
Section 31.016, Election Code, as added by this Act.
(b) Not later than October 1, 2019, the county shall post
information as required by Section 31.125, Election Code, as added
by this Act.
SECTION 18. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.