| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the deadline for returning a ballot voted by mail. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Sections 86.007(a) and (e), Election Code, are |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) A [Except as provided by Subsection (d), a] marked |
|
|
ballot voted by mail must arrive at the address on the carrier |
|
|
envelope: |
|
|
(1) before the time the polls are required to close on |
|
|
election day; or |
|
|
(2) not later than the fifth day after the date of the |
|
|
election [5 p.m. on the day after election day], if the carrier |
|
|
envelope was placed for delivery by mail or common or contract |
|
|
carrier before election day and bears a cancellation mark of a |
|
|
common or contract carrier or a courier indicating a time not later |
|
|
than 7 p.m. at the location of the election on election day. |
|
|
(e) A delivery under Subsection (a)(2) [or (d)] is timely, |
|
|
except as otherwise provided by this title, if the carrier envelope |
|
|
or, if applicable, the envelope containing the carrier envelope: |
|
|
(1) is properly addressed with postage or handling |
|
|
charges prepaid; and |
|
|
(2) bears a cancellation mark of a recognized postal |
|
|
service or a receipt mark of a common or contract carrier or a |
|
|
courier indicating a time before the deadline. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Sections 87.125(a) and (a-1), Election Code, are |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The early voting ballot board shall convene to count |
|
|
ballots voted by mail that arrive at the address on the carrier |
|
|
envelope after 5 p.m. on the day after election day and are timely |
|
|
under Section 86.007 [described by Section 86.007(d)] at the time |
|
|
set by the presiding judge of the board on the ninth day after the |
|
|
date of an election or on an earlier day if the early voting clerk |
|
|
certifies that all ballots voted by mail [mailed from outside the
|
|
|
United States] have been received. |
|
|
(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for an election held |
|
|
on the date of the general election for state and county officers, |
|
|
the early voting ballot board shall convene to count ballots voted |
|
|
by mail that arrive at the address on the carrier envelope after 5 |
|
|
p.m. on the day after election day and are timely under Section |
|
|
86.007 [described by Sections 86.007(d) and (d-1)] not later than |
|
|
the 13th day after the date of the election. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Sections 86.007(d) and (g), Election Code, are |
|
|
repealed. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |