| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the application to vote early by mail in more than one |
|
|
election. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 86.0015, Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 86.0015. APPLYING FOR MORE THAN ONE ELECTION IN SAME |
|
|
APPLICATION. (a) This section applies only to an application for |
|
|
a ballot to be voted by mail that: |
|
|
(1) indicates [is submitted to the county clerk
|
|
|
indicating] the ground of eligibility is age or disability; and |
|
|
(2) does not specify the election for which a ballot is |
|
|
requested. |
|
|
(b) An application described by Subsection (a) is |
|
|
considered to be an application for a ballot for each election [in
|
|
|
which the county clerk serves as early voting clerk and]: |
|
|
(1) in which the applicant is eligible to vote; and |
|
|
(2) that occurs before the earlier of: |
|
|
(A) the end of the calendar year in which the |
|
|
application was submitted; or |
|
|
(B) the date the county clerk receives notice |
|
|
from the voter registrar under Subsection (f) [(d)] that the voter |
|
|
has changed residence to another county [submitted a change in
|
|
|
registration information]. |
|
|
(c) The county clerk shall maintain a registry for |
|
|
applications to which this section applies in a form prescribed by |
|
|
the secretary of state that allows the voter to vote by mail in all |
|
|
elections described by Subsection (b). |
|
|
(d) On receiving an application to which this section |
|
|
applies, the early voting clerk shall enter the information in the |
|
|
registry for applications. |
|
|
(e) An application described by Subsection (a) shall be |
|
|
preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election |
|
|
records for the last election for which the application is |
|
|
effective. |
|
|
(f) [(d)] The voter registrar shall notify the county clerk |
|
|
following the receipt of a notice of a change in registration |
|
|
information under Section 15.021. The county clerk shall: |
|
|
(1) except as provided by Subdivision (2), update the |
|
|
registry to reflect the change; or |
|
|
(2) delete the voter from the registry and notify the |
|
|
county clerk of the voter's new county of residence, if known and in |
|
|
this state, that the voter is eligible to receive ballots by mail |
|
|
under this section, if the voter's county of residence has changed. |
|
|
(g) A county clerk that receives notice of a voter as |
|
|
provided by Subsection (f)(2) shall add the voter to the registry |
|
|
maintained by the clerk under Subsection (c). The secretary of |
|
|
state may prescribe procedures to implement this subsection. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
|
an election for which an application for a ballot to be voted by |
|
|
mail may not be submitted before January 1, 2016. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |