88R2962 LRM-D
By: AnchÃa H.B. No. 1451
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to electronic voter registration.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person to
complete a voter registration application over the Internet from
the official state Internet website. The secretary of state and the
Department of Public Safety Internet websites must provide a link
to the application on the official state Internet website.
(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has a
state-issued driver's license or personal identification card,
regardless of whether the license or card is unexpired, must:
(1) attest to the truth of the information on the
application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; and
(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
for voter registration purposes.
(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does
not have a state-issued driver's license or personal identification
card must:
(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
and
(2) print a registration application from the Internet
website the applicant is using to register, sign the application,
and mail it to the registrar.
(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),
the program must require that a digital copy of the applicant's
signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.
(e) For each application submitted under Subsection (c),
the program must provide the applicant with:
(1) a registration application that the applicant can
print from the registration website, sign, and mail to the
registrar as required under Subsection (c)(2); and
(2) information about how the applicant can obtain a
driver's license or personal identification card from the
Department of Public Safety.
(f) An application submitted under this section is
considered for all purposes an application submitted by mail under
this title.
(g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section, including rules to provide for security
measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of applications
submitted electronically.
(h) The rules adopted under Subsection (g) must require
that:
(1) the Internet website through which a person may
complete a voter registration application include a description of
the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
application; and
(2) the state electronic Internet portal project is
used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an
application electronically under this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.