77R14381 E                           
         By Madden                                             H.B. No. 1819
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1819:
         By Madden                                         C.S.H.B. No. 1819
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the use of write-in absentee ballots by certain
 1-3     uniformed services and overseas personnel.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 105.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to
 1-8     allow a voter to apply for and cast a state write-in ballot before
 1-9     the time a voter may receive a regular ballot to be voted by mail
1-10     if the voter:
1-11                 (1)  is:
1-12                       (A)  a member of the armed forces of the United
1-13     States, or the spouse or a dependent of a member;
1-14                       (B)  a member of the merchant marine of the
1-15     United States, or the spouse or a dependent of a member;
1-16                       (C)  a member of the commissioned corps of the
1-17     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the spouse or a
1-18     dependent of a member;
1-19                       (D)  a member of the commissioned corps of the
1-20     United States Public Health Service, or the spouse or a dependent
1-21     of a member; or
1-22                       (E)  domiciled in this state but temporarily
1-23     living outside the territorial limits of the United States and the
1-24     District of Columbia;
 2-1                 (2)  is unable to cast a ballot on election day or
 2-2     during the regular period for early voting because of a military or
 2-3     other contingency that precludes normal mail delivery; and
 2-4                 (3)  makes an application on an official federal
 2-5     postcard application form that:
 2-6                       (A)  indicates that the person desires a state
 2-7     write-in ballot; and
 2-8                       (B)  contains the information that is required
 2-9     for registration under Title 2.
2-10           SECTION 2. Chapter 105, Election Code, is amended by adding
2-11     Section 105.003 to read as follows:
2-12           Sec. 105.003.  USE OF FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR
2-13     FEDERAL OFFICES.  (a)  The secretary of state shall prescribe
2-14     procedures to allow a voter who qualifies to vote by a federal
2-15     write-in absentee ballot to vote for all federal offices in any
2-16     election held in this state.
2-17           (b)  A federal write-in absentee ballot transmission envelope
2-18     submitted by an unregistered voter serves as a temporary voter
2-19     registration by the applicant only for the purpose of voting under
2-20     this section in the election for which the absentee ballot is
2-21     submitted if:
2-22                 (1)  the envelope contains the information that is
2-23     required for registration under Title 2; and
2-24                 (2)  the person submits the envelope to the early
2-25     voting clerk on or before the 30th day before election day.
2-26           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.