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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age on the date |
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of the general election for state and county officers to vote in the |
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preceding primary elections. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.001, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible for registration as a voter in this |
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state, a person must: |
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(1) except as provided by Subsection (d), be 18 years |
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of age or older; |
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(2) be a United States citizen; |
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(3) not have been determined by a final judgment of a |
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court exercising probate jurisdiction to be: |
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(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or |
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(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the |
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right to vote; |
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(4) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if |
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so convicted, must have: |
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(A) fully discharged the person's sentence, |
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including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or |
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completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or |
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(B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the |
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resulting disability to vote; and |
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(5) be a resident of the county in which application |
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for registration is made. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), to [To] be |
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eligible to apply for registration, a person must, on the date the |
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registration application is submitted to the registrar, be at least |
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17 years and 10 months of age and satisfy the requirements of |
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Subsection (a) except for age. |
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(d) A person who will be 18 years of age or older on the date |
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of the next general election for state and county officers is |
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eligible to register as a voter in this state for the purposes of |
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voting in the primary election to determine a political party's |
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nominees for the general election if the person satisfies the |
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requirements of Subsection (a) except for age. The secretary of |
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state shall prescribe procedures necessary to implement this |
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subsection. |
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(e) The voter registrar may send a written notice to each |
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person who registers to vote under Subsection (d) stating that the |
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person is only eligible to vote in a primary election or runoff |
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primary election and that the person is not eligible to vote in any |
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other election until the person is 18 years of age. The notice may |
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list the elections in which the person is not eligible to vote. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 172, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 172.005 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 172.005. VOTING BY PERSON UNDER AGE 18. (a) |
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Notwithstanding Section 11.001, a person may vote in a primary |
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election if the person: |
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(1) will be 18 years of age or older on the date of the |
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subsequent general election for state and county officers; and |
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(2) satisfies the requirements for being a qualified |
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voter except for age. |
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(b) The secretary of state, after consulting with the state |
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chairman of each political party required to make nominations by |
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primary election, shall prescribe the procedures necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the date on which the |
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constitutional amendment proposed by the 87th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2021, authorizing a person who will be 18 years of age or |
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older on the date of the general election for state and county |
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officers to vote in the preceding primary election takes effect. If |
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that amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no |
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effect. |