BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 3301

By: Price

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Certain sources claim that the electronic voting systems that are in widespread use throughout Texas do not allow for a manual additional count of a certain number of the system's ballots as a quality assurance measure because the manual counts involve simply pressing the same button as in the initial count and getting the same result. C.S.H.B. 3301 eliminates the requirement of conducting such a manual count of electronic voting system ballots.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 3301 repeals Section 127.201, Election Code, requiring the general custodian of election records, for purposes of ensuring the accuracy of the tabulation of electronic voting system results, to conduct a manual count of all the races in at least one percent of the election precincts or in three precincts, whichever is greater, in which the electronic voting system was used, and setting out requirements relating to such partial count.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2011.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

C.S.H.B. 3301 differs from the original by setting the substitute's effective date as September 1, 2011, whereas the original set an effective date of  September 1, 2010.