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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to early voting procedures. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 67.007(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The county election returns shall state, for each |
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candidate and for and against each measure: |
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(1)[,] the total number of votes received in the county |
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as stated by the local canvassing authority's tabulation of votes; |
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(2) the total number of early voting votes cast by |
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personal appearance received in the county; and |
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(3) the total number of early voting votes cast by mail |
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received in the county. |
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SECTION 2. Section 68.004(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The periodic reports may include: |
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(1) vote totals for all contested races being |
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tabulated; |
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(2) vote totals by county for federal offices and |
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statewide offices of the state government; |
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(3) vote totals for federal offices and statewide |
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offices of the state government in each of the six most populous |
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counties, the total for the next 19 most populous counties, and the |
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total for the remaining 229 counties; [and] |
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(4) the total number of early voting votes cast by |
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personal appearance and the total number of early voting votes cast |
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by mail for all contested races being tabulated; and |
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(5) any other information the secretary of state |
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determines to be relevant. |
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SECTION 3. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (i-1) to read as follows: |
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(i-1) The signature verification committee may compare the |
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signature on each carrier envelope certificate, except those signed |
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for a voter by a witness, with the signatures on other carrier |
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envelope certificates received for the same election to determine |
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whether the same voter cast more than one ballot by mail. A |
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determination under this subsection that the same voter cast more |
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than one ballot by mail must be made by a majority vote of the |
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committee's membership. The committee must report a determination |
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under this subsection that the same voter cast more than one ballot |
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by mail in the same election to the attorney general and the |
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attorney general shall investigate the allegations. The secretary |
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of state may adopt rules relating to the information included in a |
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report to the attorney general under this subsection. |
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SECTION 4. Section 87.042(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The [Except as provided by Subsection (c), the] board |
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shall place the ballot envelope containing an accepted ballot in a |
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separate ballot box from the ballot box containing the early voting |
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ballots voted by personal appearance. |
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SECTION 5. Section 87.103, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) The early voting returns prepared at the central |
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counting station must include any early voting results obtained by |
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the early voting ballot board under Subchapter [Subchapters] D [and
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E]. |
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(c) The early voting votes cast by personal appearance shall |
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be tabulated separately from the early voting votes cast by mail and |
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shall be separately reported on the returns. |
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SECTION 6. Section 87.124, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 87.124. PRESERVATION OF EARLY VOTING ELECTION RECORDS |
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GENERALLY. The early voting election returns, voted early voting |
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ballots, and other early voting election records shall be preserved |
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after the election in the same manner as the corresponding precinct |
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election records except that early voting ballots voted by mail |
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shall be preserved in a separate container from early voting |
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ballots cast by personal appearance. |
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SECTION 7. Section 87.042(c), Election Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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