89R8247 LRM-D
By: Bryant H.B. No. 3247
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 work with the Department of Public Safety
and the Department of Information Resources to implement a program
to allow a person to complete a voter registration application over
the Internet from the official website of this state. The Internet
websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public
Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application
on the official website of this state.
(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has
an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
issued in this state must:
(1) attest to the truth of the information provided 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 an unexpired driver's license or personal identification
card issued in this state must:
(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
and
(2) digitally sign the applicant's application before
submitting it electronically.
(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),
the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's
signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.
(e) A digital signature given as provided by secretary of
state rule meets the signature requirement under Section 13.002(b).
An application submitted under this section is considered for all
purposes an application submitted by mail under this title.
(f) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
applications submitted electronically.
(g) The rules adopted under Subsection (f) 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 be
used to authenticate the identity and address of a person who
submits an application electronically under this section.
SECTION 2. Section 13.042(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) An application submitted after the 27th [34th] day
before the date of an election and on or before the last day for a
person to timely submit a registration application for that
election as provided by Section 13.143 shall be delivered not later
than 5 p.m. of the next regular business day after the date to
timely submit a registration application for that election as
provided by Section 13.143.
SECTION 3. Sections 13.143(a) and (e), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (e), if an
applicant's registration application is approved, the registration
becomes effective on the 23rd [30th] day after the date the
application is submitted to the registrar or on the date the
applicant becomes 18 years of age, whichever is later.
(e) If the 23rd [30th] day before the date of an election is
a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, an
application is considered to be timely if it is submitted to the
registrar on or before the next regular business day.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.