| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to an electronic system to monitor the status of a ballot |
|
|
voted by mail application and ballot. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 86, Election Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Section 86.015 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 86.015. ELECTRONIC TRACKING FOR APPLICATION FOR BALLOT |
|
|
VOTED BY MAIL OR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL. (a) The early voting clerk |
|
|
shall develop and maintain an electronic system that allows a |
|
|
voter, using the Internet website of the early voting clerk, to |
|
|
monitor the status of: |
|
|
(1) the voter's application for a ballot voted by mail; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) the voter's ballot voted by mail. |
|
|
(b) The system developed under Subsection (a) must require |
|
|
the voter to provide, before permitting the voter to access |
|
|
information described by that subsection: |
|
|
(1) the voter's name and voter registration number or |
|
|
registration address; and |
|
|
(2) the voter's: |
|
|
(A) driver's license number; |
|
|
(B) personal identification card number issued |
|
|
by the Department of Public Safety; or |
|
|
(C) social security number. |
|
|
(c) The system must update the early voting clerk's Internet |
|
|
website as soon as practicable after each of the following events |
|
|
occurs: |
|
|
(1) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's |
|
|
application for a ballot to be voted by mail; |
|
|
(2) acceptance or rejection by the early voting clerk |
|
|
of the person's application for a ballot to be voted by mail; |
|
|
(3) placement in the mail by the early voting clerk of |
|
|
the person's official ballot; |
|
|
(4) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's |
|
|
marked ballot; and |
|
|
(5) acceptance or rejection by the early voting ballot |
|
|
board of a person's marked ballot. |
|
|
(d) The information contained in Subsection (c) is public |
|
|
information for the purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
|
|
beginning with an application for a ballot to be voted by mail for |
|
|
an election held on or after January 1, 2022. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |