HBA-LCA H.B. 2057 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2057
By: Yarbrough
Elections
4/12/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

According to a survey conducted by the secretary of state, more than
120,500 voters in 216 counties applied for ballots by mail during the last
general election cycle. Increasing numbers of people, particularly senior
citizens, are voting by mail, whether out of convenience or out of
necessity. 

In an attempt to guard against potential abuse of the increasingly popular
ballot-by-mail system, H.B. 2057 amends Chapter 84, Election Code
(Application for Ballot), to require voters to use an official application
for their ballots. Additionally, this bill requires that the name, official
title, and official mailing address of an early voting clerk must be
pre-printed or stamped on each application to eliminate the possibility
that another person, business, political party, or campaign might receive
the application. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 84.001(c), Election Code, to require an
applicant for an early voting ballot to use an official application form. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 84.011, Election Code, by adding Subsection (c),
to provide that each officially prescribed application form must contain
the name, official title, and official mailing address of the early voting
clerk. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.