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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to identification of early voting ballots voted by mail by |
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electronic code. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 52, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 52.076 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 52.076. IDENTIFYING CODE FOR MAIL-IN BALLOTS. (a) Each |
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early voting ballot voted by mail must include a unique code |
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readable by an electronic device that may be used to verify the |
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authenticity of the ballot. |
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(b) No record associating an individual voter with a code |
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assigned to a ballot under this section may be created. |
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(c) The secretary of state by rule shall provide for the |
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design and distribution of a unique code system in a manner that, to |
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the greatest extent possible, prevents the unauthorized |
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reproduction or misuse of mail ballots. |
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SECTION 2. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: |
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(h) Before the clerk provides a ballot to an applicant, the |
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clerk shall identify the unique code included on each ballot with an |
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electronic device and make a record indicating that a ballot with |
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the unique code was issued. |
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SECTION 3. Section 87.062, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) The early voting ballot board shall identify the |
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unique code included on each ballot with an electronic device and |
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compare the code on the ballot to the codes recorded by the early |
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voting clerk under Section 86.001(h). If the code does not match a |
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recorded code, the early voting ballot board may not count the |
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ballot. Ballots not counted under this section shall be placed in an |
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envelope and treated in the same manner as rejected ballots under |
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Section 87.043. |
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SECTION 4. Section 87.103, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) The unique code included on each ballot must be |
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identified by an electronic device and if the code on the ballot |
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does not match a code recorded by the early voting clerk under |
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Section 86.001(h), the ballot may not be counted. Ballots not |
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counted under this section shall be placed in an envelope and |
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treated in the same manner as rejected ballots under Section |
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87.043. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |