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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to renewing the application to receive ballots to be voted |
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by mail for certain elections held during a calendar year. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 86.0015, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read as follows: |
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(g) The county clerk shall provide to a voter who has |
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applied for and qualifies to receive ballots to be voted by mail |
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under this section, with the ballot for an election held on the |
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November uniform election date of an even-numbered year, an |
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application for a ballot to be voted by mail and instructions for |
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submitting the application under this subsection. The application: |
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(1) must be preprinted so that the voter is required |
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only to: |
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(A) sign and date the application; and |
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(B) indicate in which political party's primary |
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election the voter seeks to vote or indicate that the voter does not |
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want to receive a primary election ballot; |
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(2) may be returned with the voter's ballot in the |
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carrier envelope; |
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(3) applies to each election that occurs before |
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December 31 of the next even-numbered year following the November |
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election, notwithstanding Subsection (b)(2)(A); |
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(4) must be signed by the applicant, or by a witness as |
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provided by Section 84.003; and |
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(5) must be on a form prescribed by the secretary of |
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state. |
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(h) The secretary of state shall prescribe an application |
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form and instructions under Subsection (g) required for use by each |
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county. |
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SECTION 2. Section 87.043, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) After the final canvass for an election held on the |
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November uniform election date of an even-numbered year, the early |
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voting ballot board shall determine whether an application provided |
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to the voter under Section 86.0015(g) is stored in an envelope with |
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or otherwise included with a rejected ballot. The early voting |
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ballot board shall deliver to the early voting clerk any early |
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voting applications described by this subsection. |
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SECTION 3. Section 87.044, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) The early voting ballot board shall deliver to the early |
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voting clerk any early voting applications included as provided by |
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Section 86.0015(g) in a carrier envelope with a ballot voted in an |
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election held on the November uniform election date of an |
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even-numbered year regardless of whether the ballot is accepted. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |