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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to posting of election information on the secretary of |
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state's and each county's Internet website. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 4.003(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) In addition to any other notice given for an election |
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under Subsection (a), not later than the 21st day before election |
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day, a county [the authority responsible for giving notice of the
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election] shall post a copy of a [the] notice of the election given |
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by the county or provided to the county under Section 4.008(a), |
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which must include the location of each polling place, on the |
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county's Internet website. An authority responsible for giving |
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notice of an election may post a copy of the notice on the bulletin |
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board used for posting notices of the meetings of the governing body |
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of the political subdivision that the authority serves. For each |
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precinct that is combined to form a consolidated precinct under |
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Section 42.008, not later than the 10th day before election day, the |
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authority shall also post, at the polling place used in the |
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preceding general election, notice of the precinct's consolidation |
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and the location of the polling place in the consolidated precinct. |
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A notice posted under this subsection must remain posted |
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continuously through election day. |
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SECTION 2. Section 4.008(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the governing body |
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of a political subdivision, other than a county, that orders an |
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election shall deliver notice of the election, including the |
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location of each polling place, to the county clerk and voter |
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registrar of each county in which the political subdivision is |
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located not later than the 60th day before election day. The county |
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clerk shall post notice of the election, including the location of |
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each polling place, on the county's Internet website as provided by |
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Section 4.003(b). |
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SECTION 3. Section 31.012(a), Election Code, as effective |
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September 1, 2020, is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The secretary of state and the voter registrar of each |
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county [that maintains a website] shall provide notice of the |
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identification requirements for voting prescribed by Chapter 63 and |
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that straight ticket voting has been eliminated pursuant to H.B. |
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25, Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, on each |
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entity's respective Internet website in each language in which |
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voter registration and election materials are available. The |
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secretary of state shall prescribe the wording of the notice to be |
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included on the Internet websites. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.016 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.016. VOTING INFORMATION ON SECRETARY OF STATE'S |
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WEBSITE. (a) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures |
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requiring the county officer responsible for administering |
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elections to submit contact information of the county election |
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office to the secretary of state for inclusion on the secretary of |
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state's Internet website, including: |
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(1) the street address and zip code; |
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(2) the mailing address if different from the address |
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provided in Subdivision (1); |
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(3) telephone number; |
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(4) facsimile number; and |
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(5) e-mail address. |
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(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures |
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requiring each entity designating the location of a polling place, |
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including an early voting polling place, to submit information on |
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the location to the secretary of state for inclusion on the |
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secretary of state's Internet website. |
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(c) For each polling place the information submitted must |
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include: |
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(1) the name of the building in which the polling place |
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is located, if available; |
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(2) the street address and zip code of the polling |
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place; and |
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(3) the days and hours of voting at each location. |
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(d) The polling information under Subsection (c) shall be |
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posted on the secretary of state's Internet website in a |
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downloadable format. |
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(e) The secretary of state: |
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(1) may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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donations from any public or private source for the creation and |
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maintenance of the Internet website; and |
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(2) shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.125 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.125. COUNTY WEBSITE. (a) The county officer |
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responsible for administering elections shall post on the county's |
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Internet website contact information for the county election office |
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including: |
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(1) the street address and zip code; |
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(2) the mailing address if different from the address |
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provided in Subdivision (1); |
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(3) telephone number; |
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(4) facsimile number; and |
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(5) e-mail address. |
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(b) For each polling place located in the county, the county |
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shall post on the county's Internet website: |
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(1) the name of the building in which the polling place |
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is located, if available; |
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(2) the street address and zip code of the polling |
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place; and |
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(3) the days and hours of voting at each location. |
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SECTION 6. Section 32.114(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The county clerk shall: |
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(1) post a notice of the time and place of each session |
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on the county's Internet website and may post the notice on the |
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bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the |
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commissioners court and shall include on the notice a statement |
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that the program is open to the public; |
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(2) notify each presiding judge appointed by the |
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commissioners court of the time and place of each session and of the |
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duty of each election judge to complete the training program; |
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(3) notify the county chair of each political party in |
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the county of the time and place of each session; and |
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(4) notify the voter registrar of the date, hour, and |
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place of each session. |
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SECTION 7. Section 42.035(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Beginning with the first week following the week in |
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which an order changing a county election precinct boundary is |
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adopted, the commissioners court shall publish notice of the |
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change: |
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(1) in a newspaper in the county once a week for three |
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consecutive weeks; and |
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(2) on the county's Internet website for three |
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consecutive weeks. |
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SECTION 8. Section 43.061(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) Notice required by Subsection (b) must be given by: |
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(1) notifying each candidate whose name appears on the |
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ballot in the election or, in the case of an office filled by voters |
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of more than one county, notifying the county chair or, for an |
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independent candidate, the county judge of the county in which the |
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change occurs; or |
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(2) posting the notice in a listing used specifically |
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to inform the public of changes to the location of a polling place |
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on the [any] Internet website that the county clerk maintains to |
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provide information on elections held in the county. |
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SECTION 9. Section 66.059, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) If the political subdivision holding the election is not |
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a county, the [The] district judge shall post a notice of the date, |
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hour, and place for opening the box on the bulletin board used for |
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posting notices of the meetings of the governing body of the |
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political subdivision served by the general custodian of election |
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records. The notice must remain posted continuously for the 24 |
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hours immediately preceding the hour set for opening the box. |
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(b-1) If the political subdivision holding the election is a |
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county, the district judge shall post a notice of the date, hour, |
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and place for opening the box on the county's Internet website. The |
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notice must remain posted continuously for the 24 hours preceding |
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the hour set for opening the box. |
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SECTION 10. Section 67.012(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The secretary of state shall post, on the secretary of |
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state's Internet website [bulletin board used for posting notice of
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meetings of state governmental bodies], a notice of the date, hour, |
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and place of the canvass at least 72 hours before the canvass is |
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conducted. |
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SECTION 11. Section 85.007(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) Notice under Subsection (b) shall be posted |
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continuously for at least 72 hours immediately preceding the first |
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hour that the voting to which the notice pertains will be conducted. |
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The notice shall be posted on: |
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(1) the bulletin board used for posting notice of |
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meetings of the [commissioners court if the early voting clerk is
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the county clerk, or of the] city governing body if the early voting |
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clerk is the city secretary; or |
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(2) the county's Internet website if the early voting |
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clerk is the county clerk. |
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SECTION 12. Section 85.067(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The schedule shall be posted on: |
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(1) the bulletin board used for posting notice of |
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meetings of the governing body of the political subdivision served |
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by the authority ordering the election or, if the early voting clerk |
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is the [county clerk or] city secretary, meetings of the |
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[commissioners court or] city governing body; or |
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(2) the county's Internet website if the early voting |
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clerk is the county clerk [, as applicable]. |
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SECTION 13. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (k) and adding Subsection (k-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(k) Postings required by this section shall be made on the |
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bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the |
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[commissioners court, in an election for which the county election
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board is established or a primary election, or of the] governing |
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body of the political subdivision in an election other than an |
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election for which the county election board is established or a |
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primary election [other elections]. |
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(k-1) Postings required by this section shall be made on the |
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county's Internet website in an election for which the county |
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election board is established or a primary election. |
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SECTION 14. Section 129.023(b), Election Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Not later than 48 hours before voting begins on a voting |
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system, the general custodian of election records shall conduct a |
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logic and accuracy test. Public notice of the test must be published |
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on the county's Internet website at least 48 hours before the test |
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begins, and the test must be open to the public. |
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SECTION 15. Section 172.113(d), Election Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(d) The authority shall make periodic announcements of the |
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current state of the tabulation, including by posting the |
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announcements on the Internet website of the county[, if the county
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maintains a website]. |
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SECTION 16. Section 181.006(k), Election Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(k) The secretary of state shall post a notice of the |
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receipt of a petition on the secretary of state's Internet website |
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and may post the notice on a bulletin board used for posting notice |
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of meetings of state governmental bodies. Any person may challenge |
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the validity of the petition by filing a written statement of the |
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challenge with the secretary of state not later than the fifth day |
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after the date notice is posted. The secretary of state may verify |
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the petition signatures regardless of whether the petition is |
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timely challenged. |
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SECTION 17. Section 203.012(c), Election Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) The secretary of state shall post, on the secretary of |
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state's Internet website [bulletin board used for posting notice of
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meetings of state governmental bodies], a notice of the date, hour, |
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and place of the canvass at least 24 hours before the canvass is |
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conducted. |
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SECTION 18. Section 274.002(c), Election Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) The secretary of state shall post on the secretary of |
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state's Internet website and may post on a bulletin board for |
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posting notice of a meeting of a state governmental body a notice of |
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the date, hour, and place of the drawing. The notice must remain |
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posted continuously for 72 hours immediately preceding the |
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scheduled time of the drawing. |
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SECTION 19. (a) Not later than September 1, 2019, the |
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secretary of state shall post the information as required by |
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Section 31.016, Election Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than October 1, 2019, a county that on |
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September 1, 2019, maintains an Internet website shall post |
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information as required by Section 31.125, Election Code, as added |
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by this Act. |
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(c) Not later than March 1, 2020, a county that on September |
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1, 2019, does not maintain an Internet website shall post |
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information as required by Section 31.125, Election Code, as added |
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by this Act. |
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SECTION 20. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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* * * * * |