87R4818 ADM-D
 
  By: Alvarado S.B. No. 246
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to electronic voter registration.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
  amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
         Sec. 13.009.  ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
  secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person who
  has an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
  issued in this state to complete a voter registration application
  over the Internet from the official website of this state.  The
  websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public
  Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application
  on the official website of this state.
         (b)  An applicant for electronic voter registration must:
               (1)  attest to the truth of the information provided on
  the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
               (2)  affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
  on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
  for voter registration purposes;
               (3)  provide the information required under Section
  13.002(c); and
               (4)  provide the audit number and date of issuance of
  the applicant's Texas driver's license or personal identification
  card issued by the Department of Public Safety.
         (c)  For each application the program shall:
               (1)  require that a digital copy of the applicant's
  signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety; and
               (2)  compare the information provided by the applicant
  against Department of Public Safety records.
         (d)  If the information submitted by an applicant does not
  match Department of Public Safety records, the program shall:
               (1)  notify the applicant that the application cannot
  be processed electronically; and
               (2)  advise the applicant to print an application and
  submit it to the voter registrar of the county in which the
  applicant resides by mail or personal delivery.
         (e)  If the information submitted by an applicant matches
  Department of Public Safety records, the program shall forward the
  application to the registrar of the county in which the applicant
  states that the applicant resides.
         (f)  On receipt of an application under Subsection (e), the
  registrar shall review the application in accordance with Section
  13.071.
         (g)  An application electronically submitted under this
  section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted
  by mail under this title.
         (h)  The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
  security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
  applications submitted electronically.
         (i)  The rules adopted under Subsection (h) must require
  that:
               (1)  the Internet website through which a person may
  complete a voter registration application include a description of
  the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
  on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
  application; and
               (2)  the state electronic Internet portal project be
  used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an
  application electronically under this section.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.