Bill Text: TX HB933 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to posting of election information on the secretary of state's and each county's Internet website.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-3)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB933 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB933-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 933 |
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relating to posting of election information on the secretary of | ||
state's and each county's Internet website. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 4.003(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) In addition to any other notice given for an election | ||
under Subsection (a), not later than the 21st day before election | ||
day, a county [ |
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by the county or provided to the county under Section 4.008(a), | ||
which must include the location of each polling place, on the | ||
county's Internet website, if the county maintains a website. An | ||
authority responsible for giving notice of an election may post a | ||
copy of the notice on the bulletin board used for posting notices of | ||
the meetings of the governing body of the political subdivision | ||
that the authority serves. If a county does not maintain a website, | ||
the authority responsible for giving notice of the election shall | ||
post a copy of a notice of the election on the bulletin board used | ||
for posting notices of the meetings of the governing body of the | ||
political subdivision that the authority serves. For each precinct | ||
that is combined to form a consolidated precinct under Section | ||
42.008, not later than the 10th day before election day, the | ||
authority shall also post, at the polling place used in the | ||
preceding general election, notice of the precinct's consolidation | ||
and the location of the polling place in the consolidated precinct. | ||
A notice posted under this subsection must remain posted | ||
continuously through election day. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 4.008(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the governing body | ||
of a political subdivision, other than a county, that orders an | ||
election shall deliver notice of the election, including the | ||
location of each polling place, to the county clerk and voter | ||
registrar of each county in which the political subdivision is | ||
located not later than the 60th day before election day. The county | ||
clerk shall post notice of the election, including the location of | ||
each polling place, on the county's Internet website, if the county | ||
maintains a website, as provided by Section 4.003(b). | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 31.016 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 31.016. VOTING INFORMATION ON SECRETARY OF STATE'S | ||
WEBSITE. (a) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures | ||
requiring the county officer responsible for administering | ||
elections to submit contact information of the county election | ||
office to the secretary of state for inclusion on the secretary of | ||
state's Internet website, including: | ||
(1) the street address and zip code; | ||
(2) the mailing address if different from the address | ||
provided in Subdivision (1); | ||
(3) telephone number; | ||
(4) facsimile number; and | ||
(5) e-mail address. | ||
(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures | ||
requiring each entity designating the location of a polling place, | ||
including an early voting polling place, to submit information on | ||
the location to the secretary of state for inclusion on the | ||
secretary of state's Internet website. | ||
(c) For each polling place the information submitted must | ||
include: | ||
(1) the name of the building in which the polling place | ||
is located, if available; | ||
(2) the street address and zip code of the polling | ||
place; and | ||
(3) the days and hours of voting at each location. | ||
(d) The polling information under Subsection (c) shall be | ||
posted on the secretary of state's Internet website in a | ||
downloadable format. | ||
(e) The secretary of state: | ||
(1) may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and | ||
donations from any public or private source for the creation and | ||
maintenance of the Internet website; and | ||
(2) shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this | ||
section. | ||
SECTION 4. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 31.125 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 31.125. COUNTY WEBSITE. (a) The county officer | ||
responsible for administering elections shall post on the county's | ||
Internet website contact information for the county election office | ||
including: | ||
(1) the street address and zip code; | ||
(2) the mailing address if different from the address | ||
provided in Subdivision (1); | ||
(3) telephone number; | ||
(4) facsimile number; and | ||
(5) e-mail address. | ||
(b) For each polling place located in the county, the county | ||
shall post on the county's Internet website: | ||
(1) the name of the building in which the polling place | ||
is located, if available; | ||
(2) the street address and zip code of the polling | ||
place; and | ||
(3) the days and hours of voting at each location. | ||
(c) This section applies only to a county that maintains an | ||
Internet website. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 32.114(c), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(c) The county clerk shall: | ||
(1) post a notice of the time and place of each session | ||
on the county's Internet website, if the county maintains an | ||
Internet website, and may post the notice on the bulletin board used | ||
for posting notice of meetings of the commissioners court and shall | ||
include on the notice a statement that the program is open to the | ||
public; | ||
(1-a) post notice of the time and place of each session | ||
on the bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the | ||
commissioners court, if the county does not maintain an Internet | ||
website, and shall include on the notice a statement that the | ||
program is open to the public; | ||
(2) notify each presiding judge appointed by the | ||
commissioners court of the time and place of each session and of the | ||
duty of each election judge to complete the training program; | ||
(3) notify the county chair of each political party in | ||
the county of the time and place of each session; and | ||
(4) notify the voter registrar of the date, hour, and | ||
place of each session. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 42.035(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) Beginning with the first week following the week in | ||
which an order changing a county election precinct boundary is | ||
adopted, the commissioners court shall publish notice of the | ||
change: | ||
(1) in a newspaper in the county once a week for three | ||
consecutive weeks; and | ||
(2) on the county's Internet website, if the county | ||
maintains an Internet website, for three consecutive weeks. | ||
SECTION 7. Section 66.059, Election Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(b) If the political subdivision holding the election is not | ||
a county or is a county that does not maintain an Internet website, | ||
the [ |
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place for opening the box on the bulletin board used for posting | ||
notices of the meetings of the governing body of the political | ||
subdivision served by the general custodian of election records. | ||
The notice must remain posted continuously for the 24 hours | ||
immediately preceding the hour set for opening the box. | ||
(b-1) If the political subdivision holding the election is a | ||
county that maintains an Internet website, the district judge shall | ||
post a notice of the date, hour, and place for opening the box on the | ||
county's Internet website. The notice must remain posted | ||
continuously for the 24 hours preceding the hour set for opening the | ||
box. | ||
SECTION 8. Section 67.012(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The secretary of state shall post, on the secretary of | ||
state's Internet website [ |
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and place of the canvass at least 72 hours before the canvass is | ||
conducted. | ||
SECTION 9. Section 85.007(c), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(c) Notice under Subsection (b) shall be posted | ||
continuously for at least 72 hours immediately preceding the first | ||
hour that the voting to which the notice pertains will be conducted. | ||
The notice shall be posted on: | ||
(1) the bulletin board used for posting notice of | ||
meetings of the commissioners court if the early voting clerk is the | ||
county clerk of a county that does not maintain an Internet website, | ||
or of the city governing body if the early voting clerk is the city | ||
secretary; or | ||
(2) the county's Internet website if the early voting | ||
clerk is the county clerk of a county that maintains an Internet | ||
website. | ||
SECTION 10. Section 85.067(d), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(d) The schedule shall be posted on: | ||
(1) the bulletin board used for posting notice of | ||
meetings of the governing body of the political subdivision served | ||
by the authority ordering the election or, if the early voting clerk | ||
is the county clerk of a county that does not maintain an Internet | ||
website or city secretary, meetings of the commissioners court or | ||
city governing body, as applicable; or | ||
(2) the county's Internet website if the early voting | ||
clerk is the county clerk of a county that maintains an Internet | ||
website. | ||
SECTION 11. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (k) and adding Subsection (k-1) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(k) Postings required by this section shall be made on the | ||
bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the | ||
commissioners court of a county that does not maintain an Internet | ||
website, in an election for which the county election board is | ||
established or a primary election, or of the governing body of the | ||
political subdivision in other elections. | ||
(k-1) If the county maintains an Internet website, postings | ||
required by this section shall be made on the county's Internet | ||
website in an election for which the county election board is | ||
established or a primary election. | ||
SECTION 12. Section 129.023(b), Election Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(b) Not later than 48 hours before voting begins on a voting | ||
system, the general custodian of election records shall conduct a | ||
logic and accuracy test. Public notice of the test must be published | ||
on the county's Internet website, if the county maintains an | ||
Internet website, or on the bulletin board used for posting notice | ||
of meetings of the commissioners court if the county does not | ||
maintain an Internet website, at least 48 hours before the test | ||
begins, and the test must be open to the public. | ||
SECTION 13. Section 181.006(k), Election Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(k) The secretary of state shall post a notice of the | ||
receipt of a petition on the secretary of state's Internet website | ||
and may post the notice on a bulletin board used for posting notice | ||
of meetings of state governmental bodies. Any person may challenge | ||
the validity of the petition by filing a written statement of the | ||
challenge with the secretary of state not later than the fifth day | ||
after the date notice is posted. The secretary of state may verify | ||
the petition signatures regardless of whether the petition is | ||
timely challenged. | ||
SECTION 14. Section 203.012(c), Election Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(c) The secretary of state shall post, on the secretary of | ||
state's Internet website [ |
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and place of the canvass at least 24 hours before the canvass is | ||
conducted. | ||
SECTION 15. Section 274.002(c), Election Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(c) The secretary of state shall post on the secretary of | ||
state's Internet website and may post on a bulletin board for | ||
posting notice of a meeting of a state governmental body a notice of | ||
the date, hour, and place of the drawing. The notice must remain | ||
posted continuously for 72 hours immediately preceding the | ||
scheduled time of the drawing. | ||
SECTION 16. (a) Not later than September 1, 2019, the | ||
secretary of state shall post the information as required by | ||
Section 31.016, Election Code, as added by this Act. | ||
(b) Not later than October 1, 2019, a county that on | ||
September 1, 2019, maintains an Internet website shall post | ||
information as required by Section 31.125, Election Code, as added | ||
by this Act. | ||
SECTION 17. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 933 was passed by the House on April | ||
25, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 1, 2 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 933 on May 23, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 6, 1 | ||
present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 933 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 19, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |