| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the requirements for an application to vote an early |
|
|
voting ballot by mail. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 63.0101, Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 63.0101. DOCUMENTATION OF PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION. |
|
|
(a) The following documentation is an acceptable form of photo |
|
|
identification under this chapter: |
|
|
(1) a driver's license, election identification |
|
|
certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person |
|
|
by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that |
|
|
expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation; |
|
|
(2) a United States military identification card that |
|
|
contains the person's photograph that has not expired or that |
|
|
expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation; |
|
|
(3) a United States citizenship certificate issued to |
|
|
the person that contains the person's photograph; |
|
|
(4) a United States passport issued to the person that |
|
|
has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the |
|
|
date of presentation; or |
|
|
(5) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to |
|
|
the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired |
|
|
or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of |
|
|
presentation. |
|
|
(b) If a person is 65 years of age or older, an expired |
|
|
driver's license or personal identification card issued to the |
|
|
person by the Department of Public Safety is an acceptable form of |
|
|
identification for the purpose of applying for a ballot to be voted |
|
|
by mail under Chapter 84. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 84.002(a), Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) An early voting ballot application must include: |
|
|
(1) the applicant's name, [and] the address at which |
|
|
the applicant is registered to vote, and, if the applicant is |
|
|
applying for a ballot to be voted by mail for the first time, a copy |
|
|
of one form of identification described by Section 63.0101; |
|
|
(2) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
|
|
on the ground of absence from the county of residence, the address |
|
|
outside the applicant's county of residence to which the ballot is |
|
|
to be mailed; |
|
|
(3) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
|
|
on the ground of age or disability, the address of the hospital, |
|
|
nursing home or other long-term care facility, or retirement |
|
|
center, or of a person related to the applicant within the second |
|
|
degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as |
|
|
determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, if the applicant is |
|
|
living at that address and that address is different from the |
|
|
address at which the applicant is registered to vote; |
|
|
(4) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
|
|
on the ground of confinement in jail, the address of the jail or of a |
|
|
person related to the applicant within the degree described by |
|
|
Subdivision (3); |
|
|
(5) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
|
|
on any ground, an indication of each election for which the |
|
|
applicant is applying for a ballot; and |
|
|
(6) an indication of the ground of eligibility for |
|
|
early voting. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 84.011(a), Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The officially prescribed application form for an early |
|
|
voting ballot must include: |
|
|
(1) immediately preceding the signature space the |
|
|
statement: "I certify that the information given in this |
|
|
application is true, and I understand that giving false information |
|
|
in this application is a crime."; |
|
|
(2) a statement informing the applicant of the |
|
|
offenses prescribed by Sections 84.003 and 84.004; |
|
|
(3) spaces for entering an applicant's voter |
|
|
registration number and county election precinct of registration, |
|
|
with a statement informing the applicant that failure to furnish |
|
|
that information does not invalidate the application; and |
|
|
(4) on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail: |
|
|
(A) a space for an applicant applying on the |
|
|
ground of absence from the county of residence to indicate the date |
|
|
on or after which the applicant can receive mail at the address |
|
|
outside the county; |
|
|
(B) a space for indicating the fact that an |
|
|
applicant whose application is signed by a witness cannot make the |
|
|
applicant's mark and a space for indicating the relationship or |
|
|
lack of relationship of the witness to the applicant; |
|
|
(C) a space for entering an applicant's telephone |
|
|
number, with a statement informing the applicant that failure to |
|
|
furnish that information does not invalidate the application; |
|
|
(D) a space or box for an applicant applying on |
|
|
the ground of age or disability to indicate that the address to |
|
|
which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a facility or |
|
|
relative described by Section 84.002(a)(3), if applicable; |
|
|
(E) a space or box for an applicant applying on |
|
|
the ground of confinement in jail to indicate that the address to |
|
|
which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a relative |
|
|
described by Section 84.002(a)(4), if applicable; |
|
|
(F) spaces for entering the signature, printed |
|
|
name, and residence address of any person assisting the applicant; |
|
|
(G) a statement informing the applicant of the |
|
|
condition prescribed by Section 81.005; [and] |
|
|
(H) a statement informing the applicant of the |
|
|
requirement prescribed by Section 86.003(c); and |
|
|
(I) a statement informing the applicant of the |
|
|
requirement that the applicant include a copy of one form of |
|
|
identification described by Section 63.0101 if the applicant is |
|
|
applying for a ballot to be voted by mail for the first time. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: |
|
|
(h) The secretary of state shall by rule provide a system |
|
|
for maintaining information regarding the provision of |
|
|
identification with each initial application for a ballot to be |
|
|
voted by mail. |
|
|
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
|
an application to vote an early voting ballot by mail submitted on |
|
|
or after the effective date of this Act. An application to vote an |
|
|
early voting ballot by mail submitted before the effective date of |
|
|
this Act is governed by the law in effect when the application was |
|
|
submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
|
|
purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |