BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1850
	By: Klick; Raymond (Fallon)
	State Affairs
	5/16/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

H.B. 1850 would create a uniform process for persons to obtain daily voting information during an early voting period.

It would require the early voting clerk to provide a current copy of the register on the website of the authority ordering the election each day in which early voting is conducted. The clerk would also send the registers to the secretary of state.

The information on the roster for a person who voted early by mail would also be made available each day�by 11 a.m. the day after the person voted.

H.B. 1850 amends current law relating to the availability of certain voter information.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 85.072, Election Code, by adding Subsections (f) and (g), as follows:

(f) Requires the early voting clerk to provide, in a downloadable database format, a current copy of the register for posting on the Internet website of the authority ordering the election, if the authority maintains a website, each day early voting is conducted. Requires the voter registration number for each voter listed in the register, at a minimum, to be posted.

(g) Requires the early voting clerk to compile the registers and electronically submit to the secretary of state (SOS) a record of each voter participating in a primary, a runoff primary, a general election, or any special election ordered by the governor not later than the day the voter votes in person or the early voting clerk receives a ballot voted by mail.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 87.121, Election Code, by amending Subsections (g) and (h) and adding Subsections (i) and (j), as follows:

(g) Requires information on the roster for a person who votes an early voting ballot by personal appearance to be made available for public inspection as provided by Subsection (i) not later than 11 a.m., rather than to be made available for public inspection not later than the beginning of regular business hours, on the day after the date the information is entered on the roster under Subsection (c).

(h) Requires information on the roster for a person who votes an early voting ballot by mail to be made available for public inspection as provided by Subsection (i) not later than 11 a.m. on the day following the day the early voting clerk receives a ballot voted by mail.

(i) Requires the information under Subsections (g) and (h) to be made available:

(1) for an election in which the county clerk is the early voting clerk:

(A) on the publicly accessible Internet website of the county; or

(B) if the county does not maintain a website, on the bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the commissioners court; or

(2) for an election not described by Subdivision (1):

(A) on the publicly accessible Internet website of the authority ordering the election; or

(B) if the authority ordering the election does not maintain a website, on the bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the governing body of the authority.

(j) Requires SOS to make any early voting roster created under this section available to the public on SOS's Internet website.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.