Bill Text: TX SB1875 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the use of electronic devices to accept voters.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-20 - Referred to State Affairs [SB1875 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB1875-Introduced.html
| 88R13148 MLH-D | ||
| By: Middleton | S.B. No. 1875 | |
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| relating to the use of electronic devices to accept voters. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 31.014, Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 31.014. CERTIFICATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO ACCEPT | ||
| VOTERS. (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 capable of | ||
| updating in real time and 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). | ||
| (b) A device described by this section must be certified | ||
| annually by the secretary of state. The secretary of state may not | ||
| certify a device that does not meet each requirement listed in | ||
| Subsection (a). | ||
| (c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules that: | ||
| (1) 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 not less than | ||
| every 10 minutes; and | ||
| (2) require a county that uses a device described by | ||
| this section to use each device function described by Subsection | ||
| (a) [ |
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| (d) If a county uses a device that does not comply with a | ||
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| 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. This Act applies only to an election ordered on | ||
| or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
