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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to early voting by certain persons who have an employment |
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hardship. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 7, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Chapter 107 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 107. EARLY VOTING BY PERSON IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE |
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Sec. 107.001. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to |
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a voter: |
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(1) who is eligible to vote in this state; and |
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(2) whose occupation causes a hardship for the voter: |
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(A) that prevents the voter from knowing whether |
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the voter is able to appear at the polling place on election day or |
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during the regular hours for conducting early voting without |
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causing a disruption in the operations of the voter's employment; |
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or |
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(B) because the occupation is of a nature that |
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causes the voter to be working periodically offshore. |
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Sec. 107.002. FORM AND CONTENTS OF APPLICATION. (a) The |
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secretary of state shall prescribe a unique application for a |
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ballot to be voted under this chapter that must include, in addition |
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to the information required by the applicable provisions of Section |
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84.002: |
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(1) an affidavit certifying the applicant is employed |
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in an occupation that causes a hardship for voting, signed by the |
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applicant and the applicant's employer or contracting entity; and |
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(2) the address of the applicant's employer or of a |
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person related to the applicant within the second degree by |
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affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as determined under |
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Chapter 573, Government Code, if that address is different from the |
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address at which the applicant is registered to vote. |
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(b) The application must be submitted to the early voting |
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clerk not later than the 60th day before election day for the |
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applicant to be eligible to vote a ballot under this chapter. |
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Sec. 107.003. VOTING PROCEDURE; PROCESSING RESULTS. (a) |
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On submission of an application under this chapter to the early |
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voting clerk, the clerk shall review the application and verify the |
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applicant's registration status in accordance with the procedure |
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applicable to early voting by mail. |
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(b) The voting shall be conducted with the balloting |
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materials for early voting by mail. |
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(c) The address to which the balloting materials must be |
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addressed is the address at which the voter is registered to vote or |
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the address of the applicant's employer or of a person related to |
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the applicant within the second degree by affinity or the third |
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degree by consanguinity, as determined under Chapter 573, |
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Government Code. |
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(d) The voter must mark and seal the ballot in the same |
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manner as if early voting by mail. |
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(e) The results shall be processed in accordance with the |
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procedures applicable to processing early voting ballots voted by |
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mail. |
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(f) Section 86.0015 applies to an application for a ballot |
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to be voted under this chapter, notwithstanding Section 86.0015(a). |
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Sec. 107.004. RULES. The secretary of state shall adopt |
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rules to implement this chapter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |