Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB246 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R4818 ADM-D
2	2	By: Alvarado S.B. No. 246
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to electronic voter registration.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
10	10	amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
12	12	secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person who
13	13	has an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
14	14	issued in this state to complete a voter registration application
15	15	over the Internet from the official website of this state. The
16	16	websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public
17	17	Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application
18	18	on the official website of this state.
19	19	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration must:
20	20	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
21	21	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
22	22	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
23	23	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
24	24	for voter registration purposes;
25	25	(3) provide the information required under Section
26	26	13.002(c); and
27	27	(4) provide the audit number and date of issuance of
28	28	the applicant's Texas driver's license or personal identification
29	29	card issued by the Department of Public Safety.
30	30	(c) For each application the program shall:
31	31	(1) require that a digital copy of the applicant's
32	32	signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety; and
33	33	(2) compare the information provided by the applicant
34	34	against Department of Public Safety records.
35	35	(d) If the information submitted by an applicant does not
36	36	match Department of Public Safety records, the program shall:
37	37	(1) notify the applicant that the application cannot
38	38	be processed electronically; and
39	39	(2) advise the applicant to print an application and
40	40	submit it to the voter registrar of the county in which the
41	41	applicant resides by mail or personal delivery.
42	42	(e) If the information submitted by an applicant matches
43	43	Department of Public Safety records, the program shall forward the
44	44	application to the registrar of the county in which the applicant
45	45	states that the applicant resides.
46	46	(f) On receipt of an application under Subsection (e), the
47	47	registrar shall review the application in accordance with Section
48	48	13.071.
49	49	(g) An application electronically submitted under this
50	50	section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted
51	51	by mail under this title.
52	52	(h) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
53	53	implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
54	54	security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
55	55	applications submitted electronically.
56	56	(i) The rules adopted under Subsection (h) must require
57	57	that:
58	58	(1) the Internet website through which a person may
59	59	complete a voter registration application include a description of
60	60	the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
61	61	on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
62	62	application; and
63	63	(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be
64	64	used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an
65	65	application electronically under this section.
66	66	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.