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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to ballots voted by mail. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 87.021, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 87.021. BALLOTS AND OTHER MATERIALS DELIVERED TO |
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BOARD. The early voting clerk shall deliver to the early voting |
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ballot board: |
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(1) in an election in which regular paper ballots are |
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used for early voting by personal appearance, each ballot box, in |
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accordance with Section 85.032(b), containing the early voting |
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ballots voted by personal appearance and the clerk's key to each |
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box; |
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(2) the jacket envelopes containing the early voting |
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ballots voted by mail, regardless of the ballot type or voting |
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system used; |
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(3) the poll lists prepared in connection with early |
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voting by personal appearance; |
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(4) the list of registered voters used in conducting |
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early voting; [and] |
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(5) a ballot transmittal form that includes a |
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statement of the number of early voting ballots voted by mail, |
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regardless of the ballot type or voting system used, that are |
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delivered to the early voting ballot board, and in an election in |
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which regular paper ballots are used for early voting by personal |
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appearance, the number of names appearing on the poll lists |
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prepared in connection with early voting by personal appearance; |
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(6) copies of the applications for ballots to be voted |
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by mail for each ballot voted by mail received; and |
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(7) copies of the voter's signature from the voter's |
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application for voter registration. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 87, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 87.0405 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 87.0405. REVIEW OF APPLICATION FOR BALLOT TO BE VOTED |
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BY MAIL. Before reviewing a carrier envelope certificate, the |
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early voting ballot board shall review each application for a |
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ballot to be voted by mail that correlates with the carrier envelope |
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to determine if the signature on the ballot application was |
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executed by a person other than the voter, unless the application |
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was signed by a witness. The early voting clerk shall make available |
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for review signatures for each applicant for a ballot to be voted by |
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mail from the previous six years. |
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SECTION 3. Section 87.126, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 87.126. ELECTRONIC RECORDING OF CERTAIN [BALLOT] |
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MATERIALS USED IN EARLY VOTING BY MAIL [AND APPLICATIONS]. (a) The |
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early voting clerk may electronically record applications for a |
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ballot to be voted by mail, jacket envelopes, the front and back of |
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carrier envelopes, and ballots. |
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(b) The early voting clerk shall have software available to |
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display all electronically available signatures together. The |
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software must be made available for the first election following an |
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update of the software the early voting clerk uses under this |
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section that occurs after September 1, 2021. |
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(c) The secretary of state may adopt rules providing |
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requirements for the electronic image quality and storage of the |
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electronic images of the documents described by this section |
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[Subsection (a)]. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |