Bill Text: TX SB1338 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the eligibility of certain persons to vote early by mail.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-16 - Referred to State Affairs [SB1338 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB1338-Introduced.html
88R8323 MLH-D | ||
By: Hall | S.B. No. 1338 |
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relating to the eligibility of certain persons to vote early by | ||
mail. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 82.003, Election Code, is repealed. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 84.002(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) An early voting ballot application must include: | ||
(1) the applicant's name and the address at which the | ||
applicant is registered to vote; | ||
(1-a) the following information: | ||
(A) the number of the applicant's driver's | ||
license, election identification certificate, or personal | ||
identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety; | ||
(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number | ||
described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's | ||
social security number; or | ||
(C) a statement by the applicant that the | ||
applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or | ||
(B); | ||
(2) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail | ||
on the ground of absence from the county of residence, the address | ||
outside the applicant's county of residence to which the ballot is | ||
to be mailed; | ||
(3) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail | ||
on the ground of [ |
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nursing home or other long-term care facility, or retirement | ||
center, or of a person related to the applicant within the second | ||
degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as | ||
determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, if the applicant is | ||
living at that address and that address is different from the | ||
address at which the applicant is registered to vote; | ||
(4) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail | ||
on the ground of confinement in jail, the address of the jail or of a | ||
person related to the applicant within the degree described by | ||
Subdivision (3); | ||
(5) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail | ||
on any ground, an indication of each election for which the | ||
applicant is applying for a ballot; | ||
(6) an indication of the ground of eligibility for | ||
early voting; and | ||
(7) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail | ||
on the ground of involuntary civil commitment, the address of the | ||
facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Civil | ||
Commitment Office or of a person related to the applicant within the | ||
degree of consanguinity described by Subdivision (3). | ||
SECTION 3. Section 84.011(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) The officially prescribed application form for an early | ||
voting ballot must include: | ||
(1) immediately preceding the signature space the | ||
statement: "I certify that the information given in this | ||
application is true, and I understand that giving false information | ||
in this application is a crime."; | ||
(2) a statement informing the applicant of the | ||
offenses prescribed by Sections 84.003 and 84.004; | ||
(3) spaces for entering an applicant's voter | ||
registration number and county election precinct of registration, | ||
with a statement informing the applicant that failure to furnish | ||
that information does not invalidate the application; | ||
(3-a) a space for entering the information required | ||
under Section 84.002(a)(1-a); and | ||
(4) on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail: | ||
(A) a space for an applicant applying on the | ||
ground of absence from the county of residence to indicate the date | ||
on or after which the applicant can receive mail at the address | ||
outside the county; | ||
(B) a space for indicating the fact that an | ||
applicant whose application is signed by a witness cannot make the | ||
applicant's mark and a space for indicating the relationship or | ||
lack of relationship of the witness to the applicant; | ||
(C) a space for entering an applicant's telephone | ||
number, with a statement informing the applicant that failure to | ||
furnish that information does not invalidate the application; | ||
(D) a space or box for an applicant applying on | ||
the ground of [ |
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which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a facility or | ||
relative described by Section 84.002(a)(3), if applicable; | ||
(E) a space or box for an applicant applying on | ||
the ground of confinement in jail or involuntary civil commitment | ||
to indicate that the address to which the ballot is to be mailed is | ||
the address of a relative described by Section 84.002(a)(4) or (7), | ||
if applicable; | ||
(F) a space for an applicant applying on the | ||
ground of [ |
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application under Section 86.0015; | ||
(G) spaces for entering the signature, printed | ||
name, and residence address of any person assisting the applicant; | ||
(H) a statement informing the applicant of the | ||
condition prescribed by Section 81.005; and | ||
(I) a statement informing the applicant of the | ||
requirement prescribed by Section 86.003(c). | ||
SECTION 4. Section 86.0015(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) This section applies only to an application for a ballot | ||
to be voted by mail that: | ||
(1) indicates the ground of eligibility is [ |
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disability; and | ||
(2) does not specify the election for which a ballot is | ||
requested or has been marked by the applicant as an application for | ||
more than one election. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 86.003(c), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(c) The address to which the balloting materials must be | ||
addressed is the address at which the voter is registered to vote, | ||
or the registered mailing address if different, unless the ground | ||
for voting by mail is: | ||
(1) absence from the county of residence, in which | ||
case the address must be an address outside the voter's county of | ||
residence; | ||
(2) confinement in jail, in which case the address | ||
must be the address of the jail or of a relative described by | ||
Section 84.002(a)(4); | ||
(3) [ |
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hospital, nursing home or other long-term care facility, or | ||
retirement center, or with a relative described by Section | ||
84.002(a)(3), in which case the address must be the address of that | ||
facility or relative; or | ||
(4) involuntary civil commitment, in which case the | ||
address must be the address of the facility or of a relative | ||
described by Section 84.002(a)(7). | ||
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |