Bill Text: TX SB1638 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to early voting procedures.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-15 - Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar [SB1638 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1638-Comm_Sub.html
By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 1638 | |
(Klick) | ||
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relating to early voting procedures. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 67.007(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The county election returns shall state, for each | ||
candidate and for and against each measure: | ||
(1)[ |
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as stated by the local canvassing authority's tabulation of votes; | ||
(2) the total number of early voting votes cast by | ||
personal appearance received in the county; and | ||
(3) the total number of early voting votes cast by mail | ||
received in the county. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 68.004(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The periodic reports may include: | ||
(1) vote totals for all contested races being | ||
tabulated; | ||
(2) vote totals by county for federal offices and | ||
statewide offices of the state government; | ||
(3) vote totals for federal offices and statewide | ||
offices of the state government in each of the six most populous | ||
counties, the total for the next 19 most populous counties, and the | ||
total for the remaining 229 counties; [ |
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(4) the total number of early voting votes cast by | ||
personal appearance and the total number of early voting votes cast | ||
by mail for all contested races being tabulated; and | ||
(5) any other information the secretary of state | ||
determines to be relevant. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 87.027, Election Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (i-1) to read as follows: | ||
(i-1) The signature verification committee may compare the | ||
signature on each carrier envelope certificate, except those signed | ||
for a voter by a witness, with the signatures on other carrier | ||
envelope certificates received for the same election to determine | ||
whether the same voter cast more than one ballot by mail. A | ||
determination under this subsection that the same voter cast more | ||
than one ballot by mail must be made by a majority vote of the | ||
committee's membership. The committee must report a determination | ||
under this subsection that the same voter cast more than one ballot | ||
by mail in the same election to the attorney general and the | ||
attorney general shall investigate the allegations. The secretary | ||
of state may adopt rules relating to the information included in a | ||
report to the attorney general under this subsection. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 87.042(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The [ |
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shall place the ballot envelope containing an accepted ballot in a | ||
separate ballot box from the ballot box containing the early voting | ||
ballots voted by personal appearance. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 87.103, Election Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(b) The early voting returns prepared at the central | ||
counting station must include any early voting results obtained by | ||
the early voting ballot board under Subchapter [ |
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(c) The early voting votes cast by personal appearance shall | ||
be tabulated separately from the early voting votes cast by mail and | ||
shall be separately reported on the returns. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 87.124, Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 87.124. PRESERVATION OF EARLY VOTING ELECTION RECORDS | ||
GENERALLY. The early voting election returns, voted early voting | ||
ballots, and other early voting election records shall be preserved | ||
after the election in the same manner as the corresponding precinct | ||
election records except that early voting ballots voted by mail | ||
shall be preserved in a separate container from early voting | ||
ballots cast by personal appearance. | ||
SECTION 7. Section 87.042(c), Election Code, is repealed. | ||
SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |