Bill Text: TX HB209 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to public access to anonymized ballots.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-07-09 - Filed [HB209 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB209-Introduced.html
| By: Swanson | H.B. No. 209 | |
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| relating to public access to anonymized ballots. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The purpose of this act is to instill confidence | ||
| in Texas elections and protect the secrecy of the ballot by ensuring | ||
| the public’s right to audit the results of their elections by | ||
| accessing copies of casted ballots that have been anonymized. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 1.012, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows: | ||
| (f) Notwithstanding any other law, including Section | ||
| 66.058, except subsection (g) of this Section, the portions of a | ||
| cast ballot that contain no specific individual voter identifying | ||
| information are public information under Chapter 552, Government | ||
| Code. Any individual voter identifying information contained on a | ||
| cast ballot shall be redacted prior to a cast ballot being made | ||
| available for inspection or copying. | ||
| (g) A governmental body, in responding to a request under | ||
| Chapter 552, Government Code, for portions of a ballot cast in a | ||
| precinct containing five or fewer registered voters as of the date | ||
| of the election shall take reasonable measures to ensure the | ||
| release of the records does not have the effect of disclosing the | ||
| votes taken by the voters in that precinct. The measures taken may | ||
| include redacting precinct identifying information, modifying the | ||
| request to include portions of ballots from additional precincts, | ||
| and aggregating responsive records from multiple precincts. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect December 1, 2021. | ||
