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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a county, city, or independent school district posting |
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certain election information on an Internet website. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 4, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 4.009 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 4.009. INTERNET POSTING. (a) Not later than the 21st |
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day before election day, a county that holds or provides election |
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services for an election and maintains an Internet website shall |
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post on its public Internet website for an election administered by |
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the county: |
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(1) the date of the election; |
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(2) the location of each polling place; |
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(3) each candidate for an elected office on the |
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ballot; and |
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(4) each measure on the ballot. |
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(b) Not later than the 21st day before election day, a city |
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or independent school district that holds an election and maintains |
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an Internet website shall post on the public Internet website for |
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the city or independent school district, as applicable: |
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(1) the date of the next election; |
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(2) the location of each polling place; |
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(3) each candidate for an elected office on the |
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ballot; and |
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(4) each measure on the ballot. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 65, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 65.016 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 65.016. INTERNET POSTING OF ELECTION RESULTS. (a) A |
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county that holds or provides election services for an election and |
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maintains an Internet website shall post on its public Internet |
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website for an election administered by the county: |
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(1) the results of each election; |
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(2) the total number of votes cast; |
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(3) the total number of votes cast for each candidate |
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or for or against each measure; |
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(4) the total number of votes cast by personal |
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appearance on election day; |
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(5) the total number of votes cast by personal |
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appearance or mail during the early voting period; and |
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(6) the total number of counted and uncounted |
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provisional ballots cast. |
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(b) A city or independent school district that holds an |
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election and maintains an Internet website shall post on the public |
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Internet website for the city or independent school district, as |
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applicable: |
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(1) the results of each election; |
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(2) the total number of votes cast; |
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(3) the total number of votes cast for each candidate |
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or for or against each measure; |
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(4) the total number of votes cast by personal |
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appearance on election day; |
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(5) the total number of votes cast by personal |
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appearance or mail during the early voting period; and |
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(6) the total number of counted and uncounted |
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provisional ballots cast. |
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(c) The information described by Subsections (a) and (b) |
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must be: |
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(1) clearly labeled in plain language; |
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(2) provided as soon as practicable after the |
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election; |
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(3) accessible without having to make more than two |
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selections or view more than two network locations after accessing |
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the Internet website home page of the county, city, or district, as |
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applicable, for the most recent election; and |
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(4) accessible without having to make more than four |
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selections or view more than four network locations after accessing |
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the Internet website home page of the county, city, or district, as |
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applicable, for a previous election. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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election ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |