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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 creating the criminal offense of pre-filling an |
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| 8 | 8 | | application for a ballot to be voted by mail. |
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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. Subchapter A, Chapter 84, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 84.0042 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 84.0042. PRE-FILLING APPLICATION FOR BALLOT BY MAIL. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) A person commits an offense if the person: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) indicates the ground of eligibility for early |
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| 15 | 15 | | voting on an application for ballot by mail; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) distributes the application to an applicant with |
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| 17 | 17 | | intent that the applicant will submit the application on the |
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| 18 | 18 | | applicant's behalf to the early voting clerk. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) It is an exception to the application of Subsection (a) |
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| 21 | 21 | | that the person signed the application for the ballot as a witness |
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| 22 | 22 | | or otherwise assisted the applicant under Section 84.003. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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