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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to renewing the application to receive ballots to be voted |
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by mail for certain elections held during a calendar year. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 86.0015, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read as follows: |
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(g) The county clerk shall provide to a voter who has |
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applied for and qualifies to receive ballots to be voted by mail |
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under this section, with the ballot for an election held on the |
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November uniform election date, an application for a ballot to be |
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voted by mail and instructions for submitting the application under |
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this subsection. The application: |
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(1) must be preprinted so that the voter is required |
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only to sign and date the application; |
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(2) may be returned with the voter's ballot in the |
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carrier envelope; |
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(3) applies to each election that occurs before |
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December 31 of the next even-numbered year following the November |
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election, notwithstanding Subsection (b)(2)(A); and |
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(4) must be signed by the applicant, or by a witness as |
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provided by Section 84.003. |
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(h) The county clerk is not required to provide an |
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application for a ballot to be voted by mail as provided by |
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Subsection (g) in an odd-numbered year to a voter who has previously |
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filed an application that covers elections for the next calendar |
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year. |
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SECTION 2. Section 87.044, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) The early voting ballot board shall deliver to the early |
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voting clerk any early voting applications included as provided by |
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Section 86.0015(g) in a carrier envelope with a ballot voted in an |
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election held on the November uniform election date regardless of |
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whether the ballot is accepted. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |