By: Hall  S.B. No. 990
         (In the Senate - Filed February 16, 2023; March 3, 2023,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  April 4, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
  Nays 2; April 4, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to elimination of the countywide polling place program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 31.014(a) and (c), Election Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The secretary of state shall prescribe specific
  requirements and standards, consistent with this code, for the
  certification of an electronic device used to accept voters under
  Chapter 63 that require the device to:
               (1)  produce an electronic copy of the list of voters
  who were accepted to vote for delivery to the election judge after
  the polls close;
               (2)  display the voter's original signature in
  accordance with Section 63.002;
               (3)  accept a voter for voting even when the device is
  off-line;
               (4)  provide the full list of voters registered in the
  county with an indication of the jurisdictional or distinguishing
  number for each territorial unit in which each voter resides;
               (5)  time-stamp when each voter is accepted at a
  polling place, including the voter's unique identifier;
               (6)  if the county [participates in the countywide
  polling place program under Section 43.007 or] has more than one
  early voting polling place, transmit a time stamp when each voter is
  accepted, including the voter's unique identifier, to all polling
  place locations;
               (7)  time-stamp the receipt of a transmission under
  Subdivision (6); and
               (8)  produce in an electronic format compatible with
  the statewide voter registration list under Section 18.061 data for
  retention and transfer that includes:
                     (A)  the polling location in which the device was
  used;
                     (B)  the dated time stamp under Subdivision (5);
  and
                     (C)  the dated time stamp under Subdivision (7).
         (c)  The secretary of state shall adopt rules that require a
  device described by this section used during the early voting
  period [or under the countywide polling place program under Section
  43.007] to update data in real time.  If a county uses a device that
  does not comply with the rule in two consecutive general elections
  for state and county officers, the secretary of state shall assess a
  noncompliance fee.  The noncompliance fee shall be set at an amount
  determined by secretary of state rule.
         SECTION 2.  Section 32.0511(d), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  Not more than two student election clerks may serve at a
  polling place[, except that not more than four student election
  clerks may serve at any countywide polling place].
         SECTION 3.  The following provisions of the Election Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Section 32.002(c-1);
               (2)  Section 43.004(c);
               (3)  Section 43.007; and
               (4)  Section 85.062(f-1).
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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