Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1927 by Bonnen, Greg (Relating to the procedures for applying for a ballot to be voted by mail; creating a criminal offense.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Election Code relating to the procedures for applying for a ballot to be voted by mail. The bill would specify if an application for a ballot to be voted by mail is not submitted in time for the main election, the application would be considered timely for any resulting runoff if it is received by the deadline. The bill amends an offense under Chapter 84 to include certain actions of an individual witnessing the signing of an application to be voted by mail. The bill would permit an application to be submitted electronically, amend the deadline of submission, require the early voting clerk to designate an email address for the receipt of an application, and modify the contents of an application form. Under the provisions of the bill, the cancellation of a ballot to be voted by mail is effective for only a single ballot and does not apply to a subsequent election. The bill would amend procedures for submitting "annual ballots by mail". For certain elections held in a political subdivision, the county clerk would be required to provide the early voting clerk of a political subdivision a list of voters in the portion of the political subdivision who have applications for ballots to be voted by mail.
The Secretary of State would be required to provide a method that counties and political subdivisions would be able to exchange and update information relating to applications for ballots to be voted by mail. The voter registrar would be required to notify the county clerk of a change in registration information and the county clerk would be required to send the ballots to be voted by mail to the updated address or delete the voter from the list of voters who have ballot applications on file if the voter's residence has changed. The bill would permit the delivery of a marked ballot in person to the early voting clerk's office while the polls are open on election day.
The bill would repeal Section 84.009(b), Election Code.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
According to the Texas Association of Counties, Webb County reported no fiscal impact is anticipated and Galveston County reported no significant fiscal impact is anticipated.