LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 82ND LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 8, 2011

TO:	Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, House Committee on Elections
FROM:	John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2875 by Davis, Sarah (Relating to election practices and procedures pertaining to voters not included on the poll list.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Election Code to modify certain election practices and procedures involving a voter’s absence on a precinct list of registered voters, including the elimination of the registration omissions list and inclusion of a copy of the poll list. Information previously required on the registration omissions list would be included on the copy of the poll list.
 
The bill would repeal Sections 63.005 and 63.009 of the Election Code.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

The Comal County Clerk reported many counties currently use an electronic means of registering votes and no longer use a paper poll list. When a voter is entered into the system, it automatically flags it as a Federal Postcard Application, mail ballot or provisional; the address is already in the system. A provisional voter is required to be put on a separate list which is then reconciled to the ballots before those provisional ballots are submitted to the voter registrar for validation, as required by current statute. The clerk also noted that there could be 200 pages of voter sign-in sheets and to require additional copies of a poll list to be printed would require more time and costs for paper.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JOB, JT, TP