BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2233

By: Simmons

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ballot boards are currently limited to reviewing a voter's signature on a ballot application, the carrier envelope certificate, and the voter's registration application when comparing signatures to determine the validity and accuracy of an early voting ballot submitted by mail. There is concern that this limitation does not give ballot boards the ability to use all available resources. H.B. 2233 seeks to address this concern by expanding the criteria to allow early voting ballot boards to compare the signature on the ballot with any signature that the county elections administrator has on file for the previous six years.

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

H.B. 2233 amends the Election Code to authorize the early voting ballot board, in making a determination of whether a voter's signature on a ballot application or a signature on the carrier envelope certificate was executed by a person other than the voter, to compare those signatures with any two or more signatures of the voter made within the preceding six years and on file with the voter registrar, instead of comparing the signatures with the signature on the voter's registration application. The bill authorizes the board, for signatures on file with the voter registrar longer than six years, to confirm that the signatures are those of the same person, but prohibits the board from using those signatures on file with the voter registrar longer than six years to determine that the signatures are not those of the same person, instead of prohibiting the use of the registration application signature for that purpose.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.