BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

H.B. 2373

83R9301 ATP-D

By: Klick (Estes)

 

State Affairs

 

5/14/2013

 

Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Interested parties note that auditing all of the records generated by an election, including the poll book, is very time consuming, especially in larger jurisdictions. The parties suggest that modern technology is capable of capturing a voter's signature, automatically generating an accurate count of voter signatures at the end of an election day, and making the post-election audit phase more efficient.

 

H.B. 2373 amends current law relating to the use of an electronic device to capture a voter's signature for the signature roster.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in SECTION 1 (Section 63.002, Election Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 63.002, Election Code, by adding Subsection (d), as follows:

 

(d) Authorizes the signature roster to be in the form of an electronic device approved by the secretary of state (SOS) that is capable of capturing a voter's signature next to the voter's name on the device. Requires SOS to adopt rules governing the processing of electronic signatures captured under this subsection.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.