Bill Text: TX HB1448 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the provision of a voter's thumbprint with a mailed ballot.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-27 - Left pending in committee [HB1448 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB1448-Introduced.html
  84R8428 ATP-F
 
  By: Sheets H.B. No. 1448
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the provision of a voter's thumbprint with a mailed
  ballot.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 86.002, Election Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
         (g)  The clerk shall include with the balloting materials a
  disposable fingerprint inked strip and instructions for the voter
  to include a thumbprint on the ballot.
         SECTION 2.  Section 86.005(c), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  After marking the ballot and providing the thumbprint,
  the voter must place the ballot [it] in the official ballot envelope
  and then seal the ballot envelope, place the ballot envelope in the
  official carrier envelope and then seal the carrier envelope, and
  sign the certificate on the carrier envelope.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
  amended by adding Section 87.028 to read as follows:
         Sec. 87.028.  THUMBPRINT VERIFICATION COMMITTEE.  (a) A
  thumbprint verification committee may be appointed in the same
  manner as a signature verification committee. A thumbprint
  verification committee may, subject to the same restrictions as the
  signature verification committee with respect to signatures,
  determine whether the thumbprint submitted is that of the voter if
  another sample of the voter's thumbprint from the same hand is
  available for comparison.
         (b)  The secretary of state may establish methods to obtain
  thumbprints of as many voters as possible for the purpose of this
  section including entering into agreements with the Department of
  Public Safety and other state agencies and governmental entities to
  provide thumbprints.
         SECTION 4.  Section 87.041(b), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  A ballot may be accepted only if:
               (1)  the carrier envelope certificate is properly
  executed;
               (2)  neither the voter's signature on the ballot
  application nor the signature on the carrier envelope certificate
  is determined to have been executed by a person other than the
  voter, unless signed by a witness;
               (3)  the voter's ballot application states a legal
  ground for early voting by mail;
               (4)  the voter is registered to vote, if registration
  is required by law;
               (5)  the address to which the ballot was mailed to the
  voter, as indicated by the application, was outside the voter's
  county of residence, if the ground for early voting is absence from
  the county of residence;
               (6)  for a voter to whom a statement of residence form
  was required to be sent under Section 86.002(a), the statement of
  residence is returned in the carrier envelope and indicates that
  the voter satisfies the residence requirements prescribed by
  Section 63.0011; [and]
               (7)  the address to which the ballot was mailed to the
  voter is an address that is otherwise required by Sections 84.002
  and 86.003; and
               (8)  the voter has submitted a thumbprint, and if a
  thumbprint verification committee was appointed, the thumbprint
  has not been determined to belong to a person other than the voter.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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