| 5 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 7 | | relating to ballots voted by mail. |
|---|
| 10 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 87.021, Election Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 12 | 10 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 11 | | Sec. 87.021. BALLOTS AND OTHER MATERIALS DELIVERED TO |
|---|
| 14 | 12 | | BOARD. The early voting clerk shall deliver to the early voting |
|---|
| 15 | 13 | | ballot board: |
|---|
| 16 | 14 | | (1) in an election in which regular paper ballots are |
|---|
| 17 | 15 | | used for early voting by personal appearance, each ballot box, in |
|---|
| 18 | 16 | | accordance with Section 85.032(b), containing the early voting |
|---|
| 19 | 17 | | ballots voted by personal appearance and the clerk's key to each |
|---|
| 20 | 18 | | box; |
|---|
| 21 | 19 | | (2) the jacket envelopes containing the early voting |
|---|
| 22 | 20 | | ballots voted by mail, regardless of the ballot type or voting |
|---|
| 23 | 21 | | system used; |
|---|
| 24 | 22 | | (3) the poll lists prepared in connection with early |
|---|
| 25 | 23 | | voting by personal appearance; |
|---|
| 26 | 24 | | (4) the list of registered voters used in conducting |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | | early voting; [and] |
|---|
| 28 | 26 | | (5) a ballot transmittal form that includes a |
|---|
| 29 | 27 | | statement of the number of early voting ballots voted by mail, |
|---|
| 30 | 28 | | regardless of the ballot type or voting system used, that are |
|---|
| 31 | 29 | | delivered to the early voting ballot board, and in an election in |
|---|
| 32 | 30 | | which regular paper ballots are used for early voting by personal |
|---|
| 33 | 31 | | appearance, the number of names appearing on the poll lists |
|---|
| 34 | 32 | | prepared in connection with early voting by personal appearance; |
|---|
| 35 | 33 | | (6) copies of the applications for ballots to be voted |
|---|
| 36 | 34 | | by mail for each ballot voted by mail received; and |
|---|
| 37 | 35 | | (7) copies of the voter's signature from the voter's |
|---|
| 38 | 36 | | application for voter registration. |
|---|
| 39 | 37 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 87, Election Code, is |
|---|
| 40 | 38 | | amended by adding Section 87.0405 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 41 | 39 | | Sec. 87.0405. REVIEW OF APPLICATION FOR BALLOT TO BE VOTED |
|---|
| 42 | 40 | | BY MAIL. Before reviewing a carrier envelope certificate, the |
|---|
| 43 | 41 | | early voting ballot board shall review each application for a |
|---|
| 44 | 42 | | ballot to be voted by mail that correlates with the carrier envelope |
|---|
| 45 | 43 | | to determine if the signature on the ballot application was |
|---|
| 46 | 44 | | executed by a person other than the voter, unless the application |
|---|
| 47 | 45 | | was signed by a witness. The early voting clerk shall make available |
|---|
| 48 | 46 | | for review signatures for each applicant for a ballot to be voted by |
|---|
| 49 | 47 | | mail from the previous six years. |
|---|
| 50 | 48 | | SECTION 3. Section 87.126, Election Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 51 | 49 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 52 | 50 | | Sec. 87.126. ELECTRONIC RECORDING OF CERTAIN [BALLOT] |
|---|
| 53 | 51 | | MATERIALS USED IN EARLY VOTING BY MAIL [AND APPLICATIONS]. (a) The |
|---|
| 54 | 52 | | early voting clerk may electronically record applications for a |
|---|
| 55 | 53 | | ballot to be voted by mail, jacket envelopes, the front and back of |
|---|
| 56 | 54 | | carrier envelopes, and ballots. |
|---|
| 57 | 55 | | (b) The early voting clerk shall have software available to |
|---|