BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 1052
By: Van de Putte
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the roster for applications for ballot by mail is available upon the first business day after the primary, which allows campaigns and the media to have access to the voters in the case of a runoff. However, most applicants for a ballot by mail also request a ballot for a runoff election. Therefore, releasing the roster after the primary election and before the runoff fails to provide the safeguards intended for the voters. C.S.S.B. 1052 limits the availability of the roster of those who applied for a ballot by mail to the first business day after the runoff election.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 87.121, Election Code, by amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (f-1), as follows:
(f) Prohibits information on the roster for a person to whom an early voting mail ballot has been sent from being disclosed until the first business day after the day of any resulting runoff election if the person indicated on an application to vote by mail that the application was also for any resulting runoff election. Makes a conforming change.
(f-1) Provides that a person who violates Subsection (f) commits a Class C misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2005.