Bill Text: TX HB161 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to identification of early voting ballots voted by mail by electronic code.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-23 - Referred to Elections [HB161 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB161-Introduced.html
| 88R724 ADM-D | ||
| By: Toth | H.B. No. 161 | |
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| relating to identification of early voting ballots voted by mail by | ||
| electronic code. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 52, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 52.076 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 52.076. IDENTIFYING CODE FOR MAIL-IN BALLOTS. (a) Each | ||
| early voting ballot voted by mail must include a unique code | ||
| readable by an electronic device that may be used to verify the | ||
| authenticity of the ballot. | ||
| (b) No record associating an individual voter with a code | ||
| assigned to a ballot under this section may be created. | ||
| (c) The secretary of state by rule shall provide for the | ||
| design and distribution of a unique code system in a manner that, to | ||
| the greatest extent possible, prevents the unauthorized | ||
| reproduction or misuse of mail ballots. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: | ||
| (h) Before the clerk provides a ballot to an applicant, the | ||
| clerk shall identify the unique code included on each ballot with an | ||
| electronic device and make a record indicating that a ballot with | ||
| the unique code was issued. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 87.062, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: | ||
| (a-1) The early voting ballot board shall identify the | ||
| unique code included on each ballot with an electronic device and | ||
| compare the code on the ballot to the codes recorded by the early | ||
| voting clerk under Section 86.001(h). If the code does not match a | ||
| recorded code, the early voting ballot board may not count the | ||
| ballot. Ballots not counted under this section shall be placed in an | ||
| envelope and treated in the same manner as rejected ballots under | ||
| Section 87.043. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 87.103, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: | ||
| (a-1) The unique code included on each ballot must be | ||
| identified by an electronic device and if the code on the ballot | ||
| does not match a code recorded by the early voting clerk under | ||
| Section 86.001(h), the ballot may not be counted. Ballots not | ||
| counted under this section shall be placed in an envelope and | ||
| treated in the same manner as rejected ballots under Section | ||
| 87.043. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
