| 1 | 1 | | 88R2334 SGM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Slaton H.B. No. 5203 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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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 the availability of paper ballots for a person voting by |
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| 8 | 8 | | personal appearance. |
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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. Section 51.005(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) The authority responsible for procuring the election |
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| 13 | 13 | | supplies for an election shall provide: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) for each election precinct, a number of ballots |
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| 15 | 15 | | equal to at least the percentage of voters who voted in that |
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| 16 | 16 | | precinct in the most recent corresponding election plus 25 percent |
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| 17 | 17 | | of that number, except that the number of ballots provided may not |
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| 18 | 18 | | exceed the total number of registered voters in the precinct; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) unless the number of ballots provided to an |
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| 20 | 20 | | election precinct is equal to the total number of registered voters |
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| 21 | 21 | | in the precinct, the means to print additional paper ballots at each |
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| 22 | 22 | | precinct polling place and early voting polling place. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 125, Election Code, is |
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| 24 | 24 | | amended by adding Section 125.0071 to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | Sec. 125.0071. PROVISION OF PAPER BALLOT TO CERTAIN VOTERS. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) An election officer shall provide a paper ballot to a voter who |
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| 27 | 27 | | requests a paper ballot. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (b) The secretary of state may prescribe procedures to |
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| 29 | 29 | | implement this section. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an |
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| 31 | 31 | | election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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| 32 | 32 | | election ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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| 33 | 33 | | by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former |
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| 34 | 34 | | law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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