Bill Text: TX HB522 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the ability of voters with certain disabilities to cast a secret ballot.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB522 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB522-Introduced.html
| 89R4263 JDK-D | ||
| By: Meza | H.B. No. 522 | |
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| relating to the ability of voters with certain disabilities to cast | ||
| a secret ballot. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 7, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Chapter 107 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 107. ACCESSIBLE VOTING SYSTEMS FOR VOTERS WITH CERTAIN | ||
| DISABILITIES | ||
| Sec. 107.001. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to | ||
| a person who: | ||
| (1) is eligible to vote by mail under Section | ||
| 82.002(a)(1); and | ||
| (2) would be eligible to receive assistance at a | ||
| polling place under Section 64.031(1). | ||
| Sec. 107.002. ONLINE ASSISTIVE TOOL. (a) The secretary of | ||
| state shall develop an online tool that allows a voter described by | ||
| Section 107.001 to complete an application for a ballot to be voted | ||
| by mail or mark a ballot online with the use of assistive | ||
| technology. | ||
| (b) The online tool developed under this section must allow | ||
| a voter described by Section 107.001 to complete an application for | ||
| a ballot to be voted by mail or mark a ballot without personal | ||
| assistance. | ||
| (c) A person to whom this chapter applies may: | ||
| (1) print an application completed under Subsection | ||
| (a) and submit the voter's application for a ballot to be voted by | ||
| mail in the same manner as provided by Section 84.007; | ||
| (2) request e-mail transmission of balloting | ||
| materials under this chapter from the appropriate early voting | ||
| clerk; and | ||
| (3) print marked balloting materials transmitted | ||
| under Subdivision (2) and submit the voter's balloting materials in | ||
| the same manner as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 101. | ||
| Sec. 107.003. RULES. The secretary of state may adopt rules | ||
| as necessary to implement this chapter. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 87.0223(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (a) If the early voting clerk has provided a voter a ballot | ||
| to be voted by mail by both regular mail and e-mail under Chapter | ||
| 107 or Subchapter C, Chapter 101, the clerk may not deliver a jacket | ||
| envelope containing the early voting ballot voted by mail by the | ||
| voter to the board until: | ||
| (1) both ballots are returned; or | ||
| (2) the deadline for returning marked ballots under | ||
| Section 86.007 has passed. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 87.0431(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (a) Not later than the 10th day after election day, the | ||
| presiding judge of the early voting ballot board shall deliver | ||
| written notice of the reason for the rejection of a ballot to the | ||
| voter at the residence address on the ballot application. If the | ||
| ballot was transmitted to the voter by e-mail under Chapter 107 or | ||
| Subchapter C, Chapter 101, the presiding judge shall also provide | ||
| the notice to the e-mail address to which the ballot was sent. | ||
| SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to | ||
| an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
