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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to electronic tracking of an application for a ballot |
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voted by mail or of a ballot voted by mail. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 86, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 86.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 86.015. ELECTRONIC TRACKING OF APPLICATION FOR BALLOT |
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VOTED BY MAIL OR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL. (a) The secretary of state |
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shall develop or otherwise provide an online tool to each early |
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voting clerk that enables a person who submits an application for a |
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ballot to be voted by mail to track the location and status of the |
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person's application and ballot on the secretary's Internet |
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website and on the county's Internet website if the early voting |
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clerk is the county clerk of a county that maintains an Internet |
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website. |
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(b) An online tool used under this section must update the |
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applicable Internet website as soon as practicable after each of |
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the following events occurs: |
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(1) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's |
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application for a ballot to be voted by mail; |
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(2) acceptance or rejection by the early voting clerk |
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of the person's application for a ballot to be voted by mail; |
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(3) placement in the mail by the early voting clerk of |
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the person's official ballot; |
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(4) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's |
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marked ballot; and |
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(5) acceptance or rejection by the early voting ballot |
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board of a person's marked ballot. |
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(c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules and prescribe |
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procedures as necessary to implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |