Bill Text: TX HB370 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to registering to vote and voting while in custody at certain county jails and related procedures.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-05-06 - Left pending in committee [HB370 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB370-Introduced.html
| 83R2199 ADM-D | ||
| By: Dutton | H.B. No. 370 | |
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| relating to registering to vote and voting while in custody at | ||
| certain county jails and related procedures. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 43, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 43.008 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 43.008. COUNTY JAIL AS POLLING PLACE. (a) The county | ||
| jail in a county with a population of 3.3 million or more shall | ||
| serve as a polling place for any election in that county. | ||
| (b) Only a resident of the county who is in custody at the | ||
| county jail and who has not been finally convicted of the offense | ||
| for which the resident is in custody is eligible to vote at a | ||
| polling place established under this section. | ||
| (c) A polling place established under this section must | ||
| allow a voter to vote in the same elections in which the voter would | ||
| be entitled to vote where the voter resides. | ||
| (d) A county jail serving as a polling place under this | ||
| section must provide a voter registration application to any person | ||
| in custody who requests an application and is eligible to vote at | ||
| the jail as provided by this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 63, Election Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Section 63.0091 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 63.0091. REGISTRATION AT COUNTY JAIL POLLING PLACE; | ||
| VOTING PROCEDURES. (a) This section applies to the conduct of | ||
| voting and to the registration of voters notwithstanding and in | ||
| addition to other applicable provisions of this code. | ||
| (b) A person who would be eligible to vote in an election | ||
| under Section 11.001, but for the requirement to be a registered | ||
| voter, shall be accepted for voting at a county jail described by | ||
| Section 43.008 if, on the day the person offers to vote, the person: | ||
| (1) is in custody at the jail and has not been finally | ||
| convicted of the offense for which the person is in custody; | ||
| (2) submits a voter registration application that | ||
| complies with Section 13.002; and | ||
| (3) either: | ||
| (A) presents proof of identification in a form | ||
| described by Section 63.0101 that also establishes the person's | ||
| residence in the county where the county jail is located; or | ||
| (B) establishes the person's identification and | ||
| residence through records maintained by the county jail. | ||
| (c) Persons voting under this section shall be processed | ||
| separately at the polling place from persons who are voting under | ||
| regular procedures. | ||
| (d) The secretary of state shall prescribe the procedures | ||
| necessary to implement this section and to ensure the proper and | ||
| orderly conduct of elections. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
