bill for online and same-day voter registration

The text as introduced · 1,069 words

89R3548 AND-D

By: Reynolds
H.B. No. 5107

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to voter registration.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 12.007 to read as follows:

Sec. 12.007. CERTAIN ELECTION OFFICERS ARE VOTER

REGISTRARS. An election officer serving a polling place for early

voting by personal appearance is a deputy voter registrar and has

the same authority as a regular deputy registrar.

SECTION 2. Section 13.001(b), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) 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.

SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:

Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The

secretary of state shall, in coordination with the Department of

Public Safety, implement a program to allow a person with an

unexpired driver's license or personal identification card issued

in this state to complete a voter registration application over the

Internet from a secure Internet website.

(b) The Internet website established under this section

must allow a person to submit:

(1) an initial application for registration; and

(2) an application to update a voter registration

record.

(c) When a person submits an application under this section,

the secretary of state shall compare the information provided by

the applicant against Department of Public Safety records.

(d) The completed online application and information from

the Department of Public Safety, including the applicant's digital

signature, shall be provided to:

(1) the county voter registration office for the

county where the applicant currently resides; and

(2) the secretary of state for the statewide

computerized voter registration list under Section 18.061.

(e) An application electronically submitted under this

section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted

by mail under this title. A digital signature given as provided by

secretary of state rule meets the signature requirement under

Section 13.002(b).

(f) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to

implement this section.

SECTION 4. Section 13.046, Election Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as

follows:

(d) At least twice each school year, a high school deputy

registrar shall distribute an officially prescribed registration

application form to each student who is or will be 18 years of age or

older during that year, subject to rules prescribed by the

secretary of state. A high school deputy registrar shall annually

submit the number of registration application forms distributed

under this section and the number of students whose year of birth

was at least 18 years ago to the secretary of state.

(d-1) The secretary of state shall publish and maintain on

the agency's Internet website a list of high schools to which

Subsection (d) applies and indicate whether the school is in

compliance with that subsection.

SECTION 5. Chapter 62, Election Code, is amended by adding

Section 62.0015 to read as follows:

Sec. 62.0015. VOTER REGISTRARS MUST BE PRESENT. Two voter

registrars must be present at each polling place while the polls are

open.

SECTION 6. Chapter 63, Election Code, is amended by adding

Section 63.010 to read as follows:

Sec. 63.010. REGISTRATION AT POLLING PLACE. (a) A person

who would be eligible to vote in an election under Section 11.001,

but for the requirement to be a registered voter, shall be accepted

during voting by personal appearance for voting the ballot for the

precinct of the person's residence as shown by the identification

presented if, on the day the person offers to vote, the person:

(1) submits a voter registration application that

complies with Section 13.002 to an election officer at the polling

place; and

(2) presents as proof of residence a form of photo

identification described by Section 63.0101(a) that states the

person's current address.

(b) The election officer shall return the original proof of

residence to the voter.

(c) A person voting under this section shall vote a

provisional ballot in the manner provided by Section 63.011 except

that the person is not required to submit the affidavit under

Section 63.011(a).

(d) For each registration corresponding to a ballot cast

under this section, the voter registrar shall review the

application and determine whether the applicant is eligible for

registration as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 13. A

registration approved under this subsection takes effect on the

date the vote was cast.

(e) The secretary of state may by rule:

(1) designate additional documents that a person may

offer to prove the person's residence to register and vote under

this section; and

(2) prescribe procedures to implement this section.

SECTION 7. Section 65.051(a), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) The early voting ballot board shall verify and count

provisional ballots as provided by this subchapter not later than

the 10th [ ninth ] day after the date of an election.

SECTION 8. Section 67.003(b), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) Each [ Except as provided by Subsection (c), each ] local

canvassing authority shall convene to conduct the local canvass at

the time set by the canvassing authority's presiding officer not

later than the 14th [ 11th ] day after election day and not earlier

than the later of:

(1) the third day after election day;

(2) the date on which the early voting ballot board has

verified and counted all provisional ballots, if a provisional

ballot has been cast in the election; or

(3) the date on which all timely received ballots cast

from addresses outside of the United States are counted, if a ballot

to be voted by mail in the election was provided to a person outside

of the United States.

SECTION 9. Section 85.031(a), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) For each person entitled to vote an early voting ballot

by personal appearance or entitled to register at a polling place ,

the early voting clerk shall follow the procedure for accepting or

registering a regular voter on election day, with the modifications

necessary for the conduct of early voting.

SECTION 10. Section 67.003(c), Election Code, is repealed.

SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.