| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to electronic voter registration. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The |
|
|
secretary of state shall work with the Department of Public Safety |
|
|
and the Department of Information Resources to implement a program |
|
|
to allow a person to complete a voter registration application over |
|
|
the Internet from the official website of this state. The Internet |
|
|
websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public |
|
|
Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application |
|
|
on the official website of this state. |
|
|
(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has |
|
|
an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card |
|
|
issued in this state must: |
|
|
(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on |
|
|
the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature |
|
|
on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card |
|
|
for voter registration purposes. |
|
|
(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does |
|
|
not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification |
|
|
card issued in this state must: |
|
|
(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on |
|
|
the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) digitally sign the applicant's application before |
|
|
submitting it electronically. |
|
|
(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b), |
|
|
the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's |
|
|
signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety. |
|
|
(e) A digital signature given as provided by secretary of |
|
|
state rule meets the signature requirement under Section 13.002(b). |
|
|
An application submitted under this section is considered for all |
|
|
purposes an application submitted by mail under this title. |
|
|
(f) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to |
|
|
implement this section, including rules to provide for additional |
|
|
security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of |
|
|
applications submitted electronically. |
|
|
(g) The rules adopted under Subsection (f) must require |
|
|
that: |
|
|
(1) the Internet website through which a person may |
|
|
complete a voter registration application include a description of |
|
|
the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location |
|
|
on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the |
|
|
application; and |
|
|
(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be |
|
|
used to authenticate the identity and address of a person who |
|
|
submits an application electronically under this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |