| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to identification of early voting ballots voted by mail by |
|
|
electronic code. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 52, Election Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 52.076 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 52.076. IDENTIFYING CODE FOR MAIL-IN BALLOTS. (a) |
|
|
Each early voting ballot voted by mail must include a unique code |
|
|
readable by an electronic device that may be used to verify the |
|
|
authenticity of the ballot. |
|
|
(b) No record associating an individual voter with a code |
|
|
assigned to a ballot under this section may be created. |
|
|
(c) The secretary of state by rule shall provide for the |
|
|
design and distribution of a unique code system in a manner that, to |
|
|
the greatest extent possible, prevents the unauthorized |
|
|
reproduction or misuse of mail ballots. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: |
|
|
(h) Before the clerk provides a ballot to an applicant, the |
|
|
clerk shall identify the unique code included on each ballot with an |
|
|
electronic device and make a record indicating that a ballot with |
|
|
the unique code was issued. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 87.062, Election Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
|
|
(a-1) The early voting ballot board shall identify the |
|
|
unique code included on each ballot with an electronic device and |
|
|
compare the code on the ballot to the codes recorded by the early |
|
|
voting clerk under Section 86.001(h). If the code does not match a |
|
|
recorded code, the early voting ballot board may not count the |
|
|
ballot. Ballots not counted under this section shall be placed in |
|
|
an envelope and treated in the same manner as rejected ballots under |
|
|
Section 87.043. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 87.103, Election Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
|
|
(a-1) The unique code included on each ballot must be |
|
|
identified by an electronic device and if the code on the ballot |
|
|
does not match a code recorded by the early voting clerk under |
|
|
Section 86.001(h), the ballot may not be counted. Ballots not |
|
|
counted under this section shall be placed in an envelope and |
|
|
treated in the same manner as rejected ballots under Section |
|
|
87.043. |
|
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |