| TO: | Honorable Todd Smith, Chair, House Committee on Elections |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB4421 by Dunnam (Relating to the form of, and information contained on, a voter registration certificate.), As Introduced |
The bill would require each voter registration certificate to be identical to a driver’s license, including identical materials. The bill would require each voter registration certificate to have a strip for electronically-readable information. The bill would make this certificate the only form of identification a voter would have to present in order to vote. The bill would be effective immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds or on September 1, 2009.
The bill would amend the Election Code requiring every voter registration application form and certificate issued to contain a photograph and be identical to a driver’s license, including identical materials. Counties would be required to issue bar-coded voter registration certificates, resulting in counties purchasing new equipment in order to issue the certificates, or contracting with a vendor to outsource the printing and issue the certificates.
The fiscal impact to a county government to comply with the provisions of the bill could be very significant for photo and certificate printing, laminating, and mailing costs depending on the number of registered voters in a county.
| Source Agencies: | 307 Secretary of State
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, TP, MS, BTA
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