By West H.B. No. 231
76R583 DRH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the elimination of the notation of a person's political
1-3 party affiliation on a voter registration certificate.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 15.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 (a) Each voter registration certificate issued must contain:
1-8 (1) the voter's name in the form indicated by the
1-9 voter, subject to applicable requirements prescribed by Section
1-10 13.002 and by rule of the secretary of state;
1-11 (2) the voter's residence address or, if the residence
1-12 has no address, the address at which the voter receives mail and a
1-13 concise description of the location of the voter's residence;
1-14 (3) the month, day, and year of the voter's birth;
1-15 (4) the number of the county election precinct in
1-16 which the voter resides;
1-17 (5) the voter's effective date of registration if an
1-18 initial certificate;
1-19 (6) the voter's registration number;
1-20 (7) an indication of the period for which the
1-21 certificate is issued;
1-22 (8) a statement explaining the circumstances under
1-23 which the voter will receive a new certificate;
1-24 (9) a space for indicating that the voter voted in a
2-1 primary election [stamping the voter's political party
2-2 affiliation];
2-3 (10) a statement that voting with the certificate by a
2-4 person other than the person in whose name the certificate is
2-5 issued is a felony;
2-6 (11) a space for the voter's signature;
2-7 (12) a statement that the voter must sign the
2-8 certificate personally, if able to sign, immediately on receipt;
2-9 (13) a space for the voter to correct the information
2-10 on the certificate followed by a signature line;
2-11 (14) the statement: "If any information on this
2-12 certificate changes or is incorrect, correct the information in the
2-13 space provided, sign below, and return this certificate to the
2-14 voter registrar."; and
2-15 (15) the registrar's mailing address and telephone
2-16 number.
2-17 SECTION 2. Sections 162.004(b) and (c), Election Code, are
2-18 amended to read as follows:
2-19 (b) An election officer at a primary election polling place
2-20 shall indicate in the appropriate space on [stamp the party's name
2-21 in the party affiliation space of] the registration certificate of
2-22 each voter who presents the voter's registration certificate and is
2-23 accepted to vote that the voter voted in a primary election [unless
2-24 the party name has already been stamped in the space]. An election
2-25 officer may not indicate on the registration certificate the name
2-26 of the party conducting the primary.
2-27 (c) On request of a voter who is accepted to vote [If a
3-1 voter is accepted to vote without presenting a registration
3-2 certificate], the presiding judge shall issue the voter an
3-3 affiliation certificate. [The certificate is not required to be
3-4 issued to a voter in a runoff primary unless the voter requests
3-5 it.]
3-6 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-7 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.