| 5 | 2 | | |
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| 6 | 3 | | |
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| 7 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 6 | | relating to voting system equipment used by counties participating |
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| 10 | 7 | | in the countywide polling place program. |
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| 11 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Sections 43.007(c) and (d), Election Code, are |
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| 13 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 11 | | (c) In conducting the program, the secretary of state shall |
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| 15 | 12 | | provide for an audit of the voting system equipment [direct |
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| 16 | 13 | | recording electronic voting units] before and after the election, |
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| 17 | 14 | | and during the election to the extent such an audit is practicable. |
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| 18 | 15 | | (d) The secretary of state shall select to participate in |
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| 19 | 16 | | the program each county that: |
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| 20 | 17 | | (1) has held a public hearing under Subsection (b); |
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| 21 | 18 | | (2) has submitted documentation listing the steps |
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| 22 | 19 | | taken to solicit input on participating in the program by |
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| 23 | 20 | | organizations or persons who represent the interests of voters; |
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| 24 | 21 | | (3) has implemented a computerized voter registration |
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| 25 | 22 | | list that allows an election officer at the polling place to verify |
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| 26 | 23 | | that a voter has not previously voted in the election; |
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| 27 | 24 | | (4) uses direct recording electronic voting machines, |
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| 28 | 25 | | ballot marking devices, or hand-marked scannable paper ballots that |
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| 29 | 26 | | are printed and scanned at the polling place or any other type of |
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| 30 | 27 | | voting system equipment that the secretary of state determines is |
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| 31 | 28 | | capable of processing votes for each type of ballot to be voted in |
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| 32 | 29 | | the county; and |
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| 33 | 30 | | (5) is determined by the secretary of state to have the |
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| 34 | 31 | | appropriate technological capabilities. |
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| 35 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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