By Patterson                                    S.B. No. 1086

      75R3985 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the procedures for voting without a voter registration

 1-3     certificate.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 63.010, Election Code, is amended by

 1-6     amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (g) to read as

 1-7     follows:

 1-8           (d)  The presiding judge shall inform a voter of a challenge

 1-9     and of the issues raised by the challenge.  The presiding judge may

1-10     request a voter to present proof of identification, if available.

1-11     Except as provided by Subsection (g), a [A] voter's failure to

1-12     present proof of identification does not affect the voter's right

1-13     to vote under this section.

1-14           (g)  The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures

1-15     requiring the thumbprint of each person who votes by affidavit

1-16     under this section and does not present proof of identification.

1-17     The thumbprint must be on a form that is part of or attached to the

1-18     affidavit. The procedures may provide an alternative method if a

1-19     thumbprint is not available.  A person who does not comply with the

1-20     procedures adopted under this subsection may not be accepted for

1-21     voting.

1-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.