Bill Text: TX HB783 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general election for state and county officers to vote in the preceding primary elections.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-23 - Referred to Elections [HB783 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB783-Introduced.html

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84R268 JRJ-D
By: Miller of Fort Bend H.B. No. 783

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age on the date
of the general election for state and county officers to vote in the
preceding primary elections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 13.001, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read
as follows:
(a) To be eligible for registration as a voter in this
state, a person must:
(1) except as provided by Subsection (d), be 18 years
of age or older;
(2) be a United States citizen;
(3) not have been determined by a final judgment of a
court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or
(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the
right to vote;
(4) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
so convicted, must have:
(A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or
completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
(B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
resulting disability to vote; and
(5) be a resident of the county in which application
for registration is made.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), to [To] be
eligible to apply for registration, a person must, on the date the
registration application is submitted to the registrar, be at least
17 years and 10 months of age and satisfy the requirements of
Subsection (a) except for age.
(d) A person who will be 18 years of age or older on the date
of the next general election for state and county officers is
eligible to register as a voter in this state for the purposes of
voting in the primary election to determine a political party's
nominees for the general election if the person satisfies the
requirements of Subsection (a) except for age. The secretary of
state shall prescribe procedures necessary to implement this
subsection.
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 172, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 172.005 to read as follows:
Sec. 172.005. VOTING BY PERSON UNDER AGE 18. (a)
Notwithstanding Section 11.001, a person may vote in a primary
election if the person:
(1) will be 18 years of age or older on the date of the
subsequent general election for state and county officers; and
(2) satisfies the requirements for being a qualified
voter except for age.
(b) The secretary of state, after consulting with the state
chairman of each political party required to make nominations by
primary election, shall prescribe the procedures necessary to
implement this section.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the date on which the
constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2015, authorizing certain persons under the age of 18 to
vote in a primary election takes effect. If that amendment is not
approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.