1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the form for an application for an early voting ballot
 1-3     to be voted by mail.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 84.001, Election Code, is amended to read
 1-6     as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 84.001.  Application Required.  (a)  To be entitled to
 1-8     vote an early voting ballot by mail, a person who is eligible for
 1-9     early voting must make an application for an early voting ballot to
1-10     be voted by mail as provided by this title.
1-11           (b)  An application must be in writing and signed by the
1-12     applicant.
1-13           (c)  An applicant is not required to use an official
1-14     application form.
1-15           (d)  An applicant may not use an application form that is
1-16     furnished to the applicant unless the application form is printed
1-17     or stamped with the name and official title of the early voting
1-18     clerk as addressee and the clerk's official mailing address.
1-19           (e)  An applicant for a ballot to be voted by mail may apply
1-20     for ballots for the main election and any resulting runoff election
1-21     on the same application.  The timeliness of the application for
1-22     both elections is determined in relation to the main election.
1-23     However, if the application is not timely for the main election,
1-24     the timeliness of the application for the runoff election is
 2-1     determined in relation to that election.
 2-2           (f) [(e)]  A person who has not made an application as
 2-3     provided by this title is not entitled to receive an early voting
 2-4     ballot to be voted by mail.
 2-5           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2057 was passed by the House on May
         11, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2057 was passed by the Senate on May
         26, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor