Amend CSSB 1 (house committee report) as follows:
(____) Add the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to ARTICLE 3 of the bill and renumber subsequent SECTIONS of ARTICLE 3 accordingly.
SECTION 3.____. Section 61.002, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 61.002. OPENING AND CLOSING POLLING PLACE FOR VOTING. (a) Immediately before opening the polls for voting on the first day of early voting and on election day, the presiding election judge or alternate election judge shall confirm that each voting machine has any public counter reset to zero and shall print the tape that shows the counter was set to zero for each candidate or measure on the ballot.
(b) At the official time for opening the polls for voting, an election officer shall open the polling place entrance and admit the voters.
(c) Immediately after closing the polls for voting on election day, the presiding election judge or alternate election judge shall print the tape to show the number of votes cast for each candidate or ballot measure for each voting machine.
(d) Each election judge or alternate election judge present shall sign a tape printed under this section.
SECTION 3.____. Section 87.002, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 87.002. COMPOSITION OF BOARD. (a) The early voting ballot board consists of a presiding judge, an alternate presiding judge, and at least one [two] other member [members].
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the presiding judge and the alternate presiding judge are [is] appointed in the same manner as a presiding election judge and alternate presiding election judge, respectively. Except as provided by Subsection (c), each [the] other member is [members are] appointed by the presiding judge in the same manner as the precinct election clerks.
(c) In the general election for state and county officers, each county chair of a political party with nominees on the general election ballot shall submit to the county election board a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the early voting ballot board in order of the county chair's preference. The county election board shall appoint at least one person from each list to serve as a member of the early voting ballot board. The same number of members must be appointed from each list. The county election board shall appoint persons as members of the early voting ballot board in the order of preference indicated on each list.
(d) In addition to the members appointed under Subsection (c), the county election board shall appoint as the presiding judge the highest-ranked person on [from] the list provided under that subsection by the political party whose nominee for governor received the most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election and as the alternate presiding judge the highest-ranked person on the list provided under that subsection by the political party whose nominee for governor received the second most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election.
SECTION 3.____. Sections 127.006(a) and (c), Election Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The [Both the] manager, [and] the presiding judge, and the alternate presiding judge may appoint clerks to serve at the central counting station.
(c) A clerk appointed by the manager serves under the manager and shall perform the functions directed by the manager. A clerk appointed by the presiding judge or the alternate presiding judge serves under the presiding judge and shall perform the functions directed by the presiding judge.
(____) Add the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to ARTICLE 4 of the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of ARTICLE 4 accordingly:
SECTION 4.____. Chapter 121, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 121.004 to read as follows:
Sec. 121.004. COMMUNICATIONS WITH VOTING SYSTEMS VENDOR PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a written letter, e-mail, or other communication, including a communication made confidential by other law, between a public official and a voting systems vendor:
(1) is not confidential;
(2) is public information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code; and
(3) is not subject to an exception to disclosure provided by Chapter 552, Government Code other than Sections 552.110 and 552.1101, Government Code.
(b) A written letter, e-mail, or other communication between a public official and a voting systems vendor is excepted from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, if the communication discloses information, data, or records relating to the security of elections critical infrastructure.
SECTION 4.____. Section 127.131, Election Code, is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) The presiding judge of the central counting station shall provide and attest to a written reconciliation of votes and voters at the close of tabulation for election day and again after the central counting station meets for the last time to process late-arriving ballots by mail and provisional ballots. The secretary of state shall create and promulgate rules and a form to facilitate compliance with this subsection. The form shall be posted on a website maintained by the county along with election returns and results.
(____) Add the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to ARTICLE 5 of the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of ARTICLE 5 accordingly:
SECTION 5.____. Subchapter A, Chapter 84, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 84.0111 to read as follows:
Sec. 84.0111. DISTRIBUTION OF APPLICATION FORM. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c) or as otherwise authorized by this code, an officer or employee of this state or of a political subdivision of this state may not distribute an application form for an early voting ballot to a person who did not request an application under Section 84.001.
(b) An officer or employee of this state or of a political subdivision of this state may not use public funds to facilitate the distribution by another person of an application form for an early voting ballot to a person who did not request an application under Section 84.001.
(c) A political party or a candidate for office may distribute an application form for an early voting ballot to a person who did not request an application under Section 84.001.
SECTION 5.____. Section 84.035, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 84.035. BALLOT SENT TO APPLICANT. (a) If the early voting clerk cancels an application by an applicant to whom an early voting ballot has been sent, the clerk shall:
(1) remove the applicant's name from the early voting roster; and
(2) make any other entries in the records and take any other action necessary to prevent the ballot from being counted if returned.
(b) An election judge may permit a person to whom an early voting ballot has been sent who cancels the person's application for a ballot to be voted by mail in accordance with Section 84.032 but fails to return the ballot to be voted by mail to the early voting clerk, deputy early voting clerk, or presiding judge as provided by that section to vote only a provisional ballot under Section 63.011.
(____) On page 21, line 23, strike "87.027(i), Election Code, is" and substitute "87.027(d), (e), and (i), Election Code, are".
(____) On page 21, between lines 24 and 25, insert the following:
(d) The early voting clerk shall determine the number of members who are to compose the signature verification committee and shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's appointment. A committee must consist of not fewer than five members. In an election in which party alignment is indicated on the ballot, each county chair of a political party with a nominee or aligned candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing authority a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature verification committee in order of the county chair's preference. The authority shall appoint at least two persons from each list in the order of preference indicated on each list to serve as members of the committee. The same number of members must be appointed from each list. The authority shall appoint as [the] chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on [from] the list provided by the political party whose nominee for governor received the most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election. The authority shall appoint as vice chair of the committee the highest-ranked person on the list provided by the political party whose nominee for governor received the second most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election. A vacancy on the committee shall be filled by appointment from the original list or from a new list submitted by the appropriate county chair.
(e) To be eligible to serve on a signature verification committee, a person must be eligible under Subchapter C, Chapter 32, for service as a presiding election judge, except that the person must be a qualified voter:
(1) of the county, in a countywide election ordered by the governor or a county authority or in a primary election;
(2) of the part of the county in which the election is held, for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority that does not cover the entire county of the person's residence; or
(3) of the political subdivision, in an election ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a county.