Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 2817	House Author:  Taylor, Larry
Effective:  9-1-11	Senate Sponsor:  Duncan

            House Bill 2817 amends the Election Code to revise provisions relating to election practices and procedures. The bill removes the requirement that notice of a general or special election state the location of each early voting polling place. The bill includes as an eligibility requirement for appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar the condition that the person has not been finally convicted of an offense of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information.

            House Bill 2817 sets out requirements for the voter registrar of a county relating to the electronic submission of the record of each voter participating in certain elections and establishes that certain documents sent to the attorney general relating to a complaint alleging suspected criminal conduct in connection with an election are not considered public information for a specified period. The bill amends provisions governing a contract between a county election officer and the county executive committee of a political party holding a primary election in the county and the appointment of a presiding judge and alternate presiding judge for an election precinct.

            House Bill 2817 amends provisions governing a watcher of an election relating to the watcher's possession of a device that records images or sound while serving as a watcher and provisions relating to the preservation of precinct election records. The bill amends provisions establishing the means by which an application is required to be submitted to the early voting clerk and requirements for an applicant for a ballot to be voted by mail who is absent from the county. The bill revises procedures governing the use of sealed ballot boxes in electronic voting system elections. The bill amends provisions governing ballots, ballot applications, and other materials required to be delivered to the early voting ballot board and the electronic recording of such materials. The bill designates the secretary of state as the state coordinator between military and overseas voters and county election officials and sets requirements for such officials.

            House Bill 2817 makes changes to the eligibility requirements for a person to vote a limited ballot by personal appearance during the early voting period or by mail after changing residence to another county. The bill includes provisions relating to the orderly operation of a central counting station, the partial count of electronic voting system ballots, and requirements for posting notice for the dates of a filing period for various state and county offices in a general election.  The bill revises provisions establishing withdrawal deadlines for a candidate and governing the time and place of precinct conventions, and sets out provisions relating to notice requirements for a recount and a contest of a runoff primary election.

            House Bill 2817 establishes duties for the Texas Ethics Commission, rather than the secretary of state, to meet specified requirements regarding the written certification of the population of certain judicial districts and delivery of the certification to certain county clerks. The bill includes requirements relating to notice of a petition for a local option election on the sale of alcoholic beverages and a deposit by the applicants before such a petition is issued. The bill repeals Election Code provisions relating to an annual report of voter registrations, a preelection registration statement filed by a voter registrar, and the delivery of certain paper ballots to an early voting ballot board.