87R3399 BRG-D
By: Oliverson H.B. No. 1138
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to electronic tracking of an application for a ballot
voted by mail or of a ballot voted by mail.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 86, Election Code, is amended by adding
Section 86.015 to read as follows:
Sec. 86.015. ELECTRONIC TRACKING OF APPLICATION FOR BALLOT
VOTED BY MAIL OR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL. (a) The secretary of state
shall develop or otherwise provide an online tool to each early
voting clerk that enables a person who submits an application for a
ballot to be voted by mail to track the location and status of the
person's application and ballot on the secretary's Internet
website and on the county's Internet website if the early voting
clerk is the county clerk of a county that maintains an Internet
website.
(b) An online tool used under this section must update the
applicable Internet website as soon as practicable after each of
the following events occurs:
(1) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's
application for a ballot to be voted by mail;
(2) acceptance or rejection by the early voting clerk
of the person's application for a ballot to be voted by mail;
(3) placement in the mail by the early voting clerk of
the person's official ballot;
(4) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's
marked ballot; and
(5) acceptance or rejection by the early voting ballot
board of a person's marked ballot.
(c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules and prescribe
procedures as necessary to implement this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.