By: Madden H.B. No. 1882
73R5400 GGS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the date on which a voter registration becomes
1-3 effective and to related dates and deadlines.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 13.143(a) and (e), Election Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (e), if an
1-8 applicant's registration application is approved, the registration
1-9 becomes effective on the 21st <30th> day after the date the
1-10 application is submitted to the registrar or on the date the
1-11 applicant becomes 18 years of age, whichever is later.
1-12 (e) If the 21st <30th> day before the date of an election is
1-13 a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, an
1-14 application submitted by mail is considered to be timely if the
1-15 date indicated by the post office cancellation mark is the next
1-16 regular business day.
1-17 SECTION 2. Section 13.042(c), Election Code, is amended to
1-18 read as follows:
1-19 (c) An application submitted after the 25th <34th> day and
1-20 before the 20th <29th> day before the date of an election in which
1-21 any qualified voter of the county is eligible to vote shall be
1-22 delivered not later than 5 p.m. of the 20th <29th> day before
1-23 election day.
1-24 SECTION 3. Section 13.071(b), Election Code, is amended to
2-1 read as follows:
2-2 (b) The registrar shall make the determination not later
2-3 than the fourth <seventh> day after the date the application is
2-4 submitted to the registrar.
2-5 SECTION 4. Section 13.073(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-6 read as follows:
2-7 (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the registrar
2-8 shall deliver written notice of the reason for the rejection of an
2-9 application to the applicant not later than the first <second> day
2-10 after the date of rejection.
2-11 SECTION 5. Sections 15.025 and 15.026, Election Code, are
2-12 amended to read as follows:
2-13 Sec. 15.025. Effective Date of Registration in Precinct of
2-14 New Residence. The registration of a voter whose residence is
2-15 changed on the registration records to another county election
2-16 precinct in the same county becomes effective in the precinct of
2-17 new residence on the 21st <30th> day after:
2-18 (1) the date the registrar receives a notice of a
2-19 change in registration information under Section 15.021 or a
2-20 voter's reply to a notice of investigation given under Section
2-21 16.033, as applicable, indicating the change of residence; or
2-22 (2) the date the voter submits an affidavit indicating
2-23 the change of residence to an election officer under Section
2-24 14.052.
2-25 Sec. 15.026. Effective Date of Registration Under New Name.
2-26 The registration of a voter whose name is changed on the
2-27 registration records becomes effective under the new name on the
3-1 21st <30th> day after the date the registrar receives notice of the
3-2 change of name.
3-3 SECTION 6. Section 18.006, Election Code, is amended to read
3-4 as follows:
3-5 Sec. 18.006. DELIVERY OF LISTS TO ELECTION AUTHORITIES. The
3-6 registrar shall deliver the lists furnished under this subchapter,
3-7 including the lists furnished under Section 18.007, to the
3-8 appropriate authority as soon as practicable after the request but
3-9 in every case in time for receipt before the beginning of early
3-10 voting by mail for the election in which the lists are to be used.
3-11 If those lists do not contain the names of all voters who will be
3-12 eligible to vote as of the beginning of early voting by personal
3-13 appearance, another set of the appropriate lists shall be delivered
3-14 before the beginning of early voting by personal appearance. If
3-15 those lists do not contain the names of all voters whose
3-16 registrations will be effective on election day, another set of the
3-17 appropriate lists shall be delivered as soon as practicable after
3-18 the registrar has processed the remaining applications.
3-19 SECTION 7. Section 18.042, Election Code, is amended to read
3-20 as follows:
3-21 Sec. 18.042. Preelection Registration Statement. Not later
3-22 than the 10th <20th> day before the date of the general primary
3-23 election and the date of the general election for state and county
3-24 officers, the registrar shall file with the secretary of state a
3-25 statement of the number of persons whose voter registrations in the
3-26 county and in each county election precinct will be effective on
3-27 election day.
4-1 SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
4-2 SECTION 9. The importance of this legislation and the
4-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.