| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to providing for voter registration at a polling place |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Election Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 12.007 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 12.007. CERTAIN ELECTION OFFICERS ARE VOTER |
|
|
REGISTRARS. An election officer serving a polling place for early |
|
|
voting by personal appearance is a deputy voter registrar and has |
|
|
the same authority as a regular deputy registrar. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 65.051(a), Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(a) The early voting ballot board shall verify and count |
|
|
provisional ballots as provided by this subchapter not later than |
|
|
the 10th [seventh] day after the date of an election. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 65.054, Election Code, is amended by |
|
|
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a [A] |
|
|
provisional ballot may be accepted only if the board determines |
|
|
that, from the information in the affidavit or contained in public |
|
|
records, the person is eligible to vote in the election and has not |
|
|
previously voted in that election. |
|
|
(b-1) A provisional ballot cast under Section 85.0312 shall |
|
|
be accepted if the voter registrar determines the applicant is |
|
|
eligible for registration under Section 85.0312(d). |
|
|
SECTION 4. Section 67.003, Election Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 67.003. TIME FOR LOCAL CANVASS. (a) Except as |
|
|
provided by Subsection (b), each local canvassing authority shall |
|
|
convene to conduct the local canvass at the time set by the |
|
|
canvassing authority's presiding officer not earlier than the 11th |
|
|
[eighth] day or later than the 14th [11th] day after election day. |
|
|
(b) For an election held on the uniform election date in |
|
|
May, the local canvass must occur not later than the 14th [11th] day |
|
|
after election day and not earlier than the later of: |
|
|
(1) the third day after election day; |
|
|
(2) the date on which the early voting ballot board has |
|
|
verified and counted all provisional ballots, if a provisional |
|
|
ballot has been cast in the election; or |
|
|
(3) the date on which all timely received ballots cast |
|
|
from addresses outside of the United States are counted, if a ballot |
|
|
to be voted by mail in the election was provided to a person outside |
|
|
of the United States. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 85, Election Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 85.0312 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 85.0312. REGISTRATION AT POLLING PLACE DURING EARLY |
|
|
VOTING WITH PRESENTATION OF PHOTO IDENTIFICATION. (a) A person |
|
|
who would be eligible to vote in an election under Section 11.001, |
|
|
but for the requirement to be a registered voter, shall be accepted |
|
|
during early voting by personal appearance for voting the ballot |
|
|
for the precinct of the person's residence as shown by the |
|
|
identification presented if, on the day the person offers to vote, |
|
|
the person: |
|
|
(1) submits a voter registration application that |
|
|
complies with Section 13.002 to an election officer at the polling |
|
|
place; and |
|
|
(2) presents as proof of residence a photo |
|
|
identification under Section 63.0101(a) that states the person's |
|
|
current address on the day the person seeks to vote. |
|
|
(b) The election officer shall return the original proof of |
|
|
residence to the voter. |
|
|
(c) A person voting under this section shall vote a |
|
|
provisional ballot in the manner provided by Section 63.011 except |
|
|
that the person is not required to submit the affidavit under |
|
|
Section 63.011(a). |
|
|
(d) For each registration corresponding to a ballot cast |
|
|
under this section, the voter registrar shall review the |
|
|
application and determine whether the applicant is eligible for |
|
|
registration as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 13. The |
|
|
registrar shall inform the early voting ballot board of a |
|
|
determination made under this subsection. A registration approved |
|
|
under this subsection takes effect on the date the vote was cast. |
|
|
(e) The secretary of state may by rule: |
|
|
(1) designate additional documents that a person may |
|
|
offer to prove the person's residence to register and vote under |
|
|
this section; and |
|
|
(2) prescribe procedures to implement this section. |
|
|
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |