BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3113
89R22537 JDK-D	By: Troxclair et al. (Flores)
	State Affairs
	5/7/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

When counties conduct a hand count of voted paper ballots for their elections, the process can be slow, error-prone, and difficult to verify. Although hand counting ballots can be effective for smaller elections, issues arise when an audit is necessary to confirm election results. Without scannable ballots, audits can become complicated and time consuming, which can undermine public confidence in the accuracy of election results.

H.B. 3113 seeks to address these issues and enhance accuracy, efficiency, election security, and public trust by requiring a ballot, for an election in a county that conducts a hand count of voted paper ballots, to be capable of being scanned and processed by an optical scanner.

H.B. 3113 amends current law relating to requiring the ballots of certain counties to be scannable.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 52, Election Code, by adding Section 52.076, as follows:

Sec. 52.076.� SCANNABLE BALLOTS REQUIRED IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. Requires that the ballot, for an election in a county that conducts a hand count of voted paper ballots, be capable of being scanned and processed by an optical scanner.

SECTION 2.� Effective date: September 1, 2025.