Monitoring the Session

HB 1001

bill bans electronic poll books and ballot marking devices

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Steve TothRHouse 15

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the use of paper ballots and certain electronic devices in conducting an election.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Paper ballot on request, scanned right there.

The bill bars electronic signature rosters, electronic poll lists and electronic check-in forms at Texas polling places, and it bans voting systems that use a ballot marking device. It also requires election officers at polling places that use electronic voting systems to print a paper ballot on request and have it scanned there by an optical scanner. Voters and county election officials would go back to paper check-in, any voter could ask for a paper ballot, and machine-marked ballots would end for elections held on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 4547 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 4547 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1001 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Steve TothRHouse 15

+ 8 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the use of paper ballots and certain electronic devices in conducting an election.

WHAT IT DOES

Paper ballot on request, scanned right there.

The bill bars electronic signature rosters, electronic poll lists and electronic check-in forms at Texas polling places, and it bans voting systems that use a ballot marking device. It also requires election officers at polling places that use electronic voting systems to print a paper ballot on request and have it scanned there by an optical scanner. Voters and county election officials would go back to paper check-in, any voter could ask for a paper ballot, and machine-marked ballots would end for elections held on or after September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Elections
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Steve Toth

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$33KMichael Till$20,000Don Dyer$10,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Mar 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$32,500.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$32,500.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$32,500.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 10, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005773, 101012329.

Michael Till$20,000.00
Don Dyer$10,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$32,500.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$32,500.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 10, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005773, 101012329.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 4547

by Rep. Toth, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 22, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to the use of paper ballots and certain electronic devices in conducting an election.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/07/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Cody HarrisRHouse 8 Richard HayesRHouse 57 Hillary HicklandRHouse 55 Andy HopperRHouse 64 Helen KerwinRHouse 58 Brent MoneyRHouse 2 Joanne ShofnerRHouse 11 Wes VirdellRHouse 53

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 77 by Hall (similar)

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Elections--Voting Systems

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

Text

The text as introduced · 450 words

By: Toth
H.B. No. 1001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of paper ballots and certain electronic devices

in conducting an election.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 63.002(d), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(d) A [ The ] signature roster [ may be ] in the form of an

electronic device may not be used in an election [ approved by the

secretary of state that is capable of capturing a voter's signature

next to the voter's name on the device. The secretary of state shall

adopt rules governing the processing of electronic signatures

captured under this subsection ].

SECTION 2. Section 63.003(d), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(d) A [ The ] poll list [ may be ] in the form of an electronic

device may not be used in an election [ approved by the secretary of

state. The secretary of state shall adopt rules governing the use of

electronic poll lists ].

SECTION 3. Section 63.004(e), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(e) A combination form [ may be ] in the form of an electronic

device may not be used in an election [ approved by the secretary of

state. The secretary of state shall adopt rules governing the

minimum requirements and approval of an electronic device used for

any form used in connection with the acceptance of voters at a

polling place ].

SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 125, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 125.0071 to read as follows:

Sec. 125.0071. PROVISION OF PAPER BALLOT. An election

officer at a polling place where an electronic voting system is used

must provide a paper ballot to each voter who requests one. A paper

ballot provided under this section must be printed at the time the

request is made and, after being voted by the voter, must be scanned

at the polling place with an optical scanner.

SECTION 5. Subchapter A, Chapter 125, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 125.011 to read as follows:

Sec. 125.011. USE OF BALLOT MARKING DEVICE. A voting system

that consists of a ballot marking device may not be used in an

election.

SECTION 6. Section 31.014, Election Code, is repealed.

SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an election held on or after the effective date of this Act. An

election held before the effective date of this Act is governed by

the law in effect when the election was held, and that law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.