| 1 | 1 | | 88R391 ADM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of Dallas H.B. No. 701 |
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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 electronic submission of an application for an early |
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| 8 | 8 | | voting ballot by mail. |
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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. Sections 84.001(b) and (d), Election Code, are |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) Subject to Section 1.011 and except as provided by |
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| 13 | 13 | | Section 84.0091, an application must be submitted in writing and |
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| 14 | 14 | | signed by the applicant using ink on paper. An electronic signature |
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| 15 | 15 | | or photocopied signature is not permitted except as provided by |
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| 16 | 16 | | Section 84.0091. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (d) An application must be submitted [by mail] to the early |
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| 18 | 18 | | voting clerk for the election who serves the election precinct of |
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| 19 | 19 | | the applicant's residence. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 84.007(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 21 | 21 | | read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (a) Except as provided by Sections 84.008, [and] 84.009, and |
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| 23 | 23 | | 84.0091, an application for a ballot to be voted by mail must be |
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| 24 | 24 | | submitted as provided by this section. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 84, Election Code, is |
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| 26 | 26 | | amended by adding Section 84.0091 to read as follows: |
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| 27 | 27 | | Sec. 84.0091. SUBMITTING APPLICATION FOR BALLOT VOTED BY |
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| 28 | 28 | | MAIL: ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION. (a) The secretary of state shall |
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| 29 | 29 | | implement a program to allow a person to complete an application for |
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| 30 | 30 | | an early voting ballot by mail over the Internet from the official |
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| 31 | 31 | | website of this state. The program must: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) permit an applicant to electronically sign the |
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| 33 | 33 | | application; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) deliver a completed application to the early |
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| 35 | 35 | | voting clerk for the election who serves the election precinct of |
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| 36 | 36 | | the applicant's residence; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) permit an applicant to check the status of the |
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| 38 | 38 | | applicant's application. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) The program implemented under Subsection (a) must |
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| 40 | 40 | | require a person to provide the following information before |
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| 41 | 41 | | allowing the person to complete an application for an early voting |
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| 42 | 42 | | ballot by mail: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) the person's name and voter registration number or |
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| 44 | 44 | | registration address; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) the voter's driver's license number or personal |
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| 46 | 46 | | identification card number issued by the Department of Public |
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| 47 | 47 | | Safety; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (3) the last four digits of the person's social |
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| 49 | 49 | | security number. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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