| 1 | 1 | | By: Hall S.B. No. 990 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to elimination of the countywide polling place program. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Sections 31.014(a) and (c), Election Code, are |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | (a) The secretary of state shall prescribe specific |
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| 11 | 11 | | requirements and standards, consistent with this code, for the |
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| 12 | 12 | | certification of an electronic device used to accept voters under |
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| 13 | 13 | | Chapter 63 that require the device to: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) produce an electronic copy of the list of voters |
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| 15 | 15 | | who were accepted to vote for delivery to the election judge after |
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| 16 | 16 | | the polls close; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) display the voter's original signature in |
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| 18 | 18 | | accordance with Section 63.002; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) accept a voter for voting even when the device is |
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| 20 | 20 | | off-line; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) provide the full list of voters registered in the |
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| 22 | 22 | | county with an indication of the jurisdictional or distinguishing |
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| 23 | 23 | | number for each territorial unit in which each voter resides; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (5) time-stamp when each voter is accepted at a |
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| 25 | 25 | | polling place, including the voter's unique identifier; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (6) if the county [participates in the countywide |
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| 27 | 27 | | polling place program under Section 43.007 or] has more than one |
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| 28 | 28 | | early voting polling place, transmit a time stamp when each voter is |
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| 29 | 29 | | accepted, including the voter's unique identifier, to all polling |
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| 30 | 30 | | place locations; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (7) time-stamp the receipt of a transmission under |
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| 32 | 32 | | Subdivision (6); and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (8) produce in an electronic format compatible with |
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| 34 | 34 | | the statewide voter registration list under Section 18.061 data for |
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| 35 | 35 | | retention and transfer that includes: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) the polling location in which the device was |
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| 37 | 37 | | used; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) the dated time stamp under Subdivision (5); |
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| 39 | 39 | | and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (C) the dated time stamp under Subdivision (7). |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules that require a |
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| 42 | 42 | | device described by this section used during the early voting |
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| 43 | 43 | | period [or under the countywide polling place program under Section |
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| 44 | 44 | | 43.007] to update data in real time. If a county uses a device that |
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| 45 | 45 | | does not comply with the rule in two consecutive general elections |
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| 46 | 46 | | for state and county officers, the secretary of state shall assess a |
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| 47 | 47 | | noncompliance fee. The noncompliance fee shall be set at an amount |
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| 48 | 48 | | determined by secretary of state rule. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. Section 32.0511(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 50 | 50 | | read as follows: |
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| 51 | 51 | | (d) Not more than two student election clerks may serve at a |
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| 52 | 52 | | polling place[, except that not more than four student election |
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| 53 | 53 | | clerks may serve at any countywide polling place]. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. The following provisions of the Election Code |
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| 55 | 55 | | are repealed: |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) Section 32.002(c-1); |
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| 57 | 57 | | (2) Section 43.004(c); |
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| 58 | 58 | | (3) Section 43.007; and |
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| 59 | 59 | | (4) Section 85.062(f-1). |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 4. Nothing in this Act may be construed to impact |
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| 61 | 61 | | polling locations used for early voting by personal appearance or |
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| 62 | 62 | | prevent a voter from casting a ballot at any branch polling place in |
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| 63 | 63 | | the territory served by the early voting clerk as provided by |
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| 64 | 64 | | Section 85.066, Election Code. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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