88R6300 SGM-F
By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1951
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the procedure for duplicating ballots for automatic
counting.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 127.126, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (g) to
read as follows:
(a) The manager of a central counting station may have
ballots duplicated for automatic counting as provided by this
section. The manager shall designate teams of two election
officers to prepare the duplicate ballots. Each officer must be
aligned or affiliated with a different political party unless there
are not two or more election officers serving the central counting
station who are aligned with different parties.
(a-1) The election officers designated under Subsection (a)
shall prepare a duplicate ballot by having one officer announce the
name of the candidate and the other officer mark the ballot with the
name of that candidate. Each duplicate ballot must be
independently reviewed by a second team of two election officers,
each of whom is aligned or affiliated with a different political
party as described by Subsection (a).
(g) The manager of a central counting station shall post the
time that ballots will be duplicated to ensure that poll watchers
are able to observe the activity under this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.