SRC-MAX S.B. 1089 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1089 By: Patterson State Affairs 3-19-97 As Filed DIGEST Currently, voting-by-mail applications are not signed by more than one party unless the voter is disabled and has a witness. This bill requires a witness to the signatures by someone other than the voter. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1089 requires a statement verifying the applicant's identity signed by the applicant's spouse or by another appropriate person on an application for an early voting mail ballot. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 84.002(a), Election Code, to require an early voting ballot application to include a statement verifying the applicant's identity signed by the applicant's spouse or by another appropriate person, among other information, for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.