bill to let Texans register to vote online

The text as introduced · 463 words

90R3300 LRM-D

By: Anchía
H.B. No. 858

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to electronic voter registration.

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

SECTION 1. 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 implement a program to allow a person to

complete a voter registration application over the Internet from

the official state Internet website. The secretary of state and the

Department of Public Safety Internet websites must provide a link

to the application on the official state Internet website.

(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has a

state-issued driver's license or personal identification card,

regardless of whether the license or card is unexpired, must:

(1) attest to the truth of the information on the

application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; and

(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature

on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card

for voter registration purposes.

(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does

not have a state-issued driver's license or personal identification

card must:

(1) attest to the truth of the information on the

application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; and

(2) print a registration application from the Internet

website the applicant is using to register, sign the application,

and mail it to the registrar.

(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),

the program must require that a digital copy of the applicant's

signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.

(e) For each application submitted under Subsection (c),

the program must provide the applicant with:

(1) a registration application that the applicant can

print from the registration website, sign, and mail to the

registrar as required under Subsection (c)(2); and

(2) information about how the applicant can obtain a

driver's license or personal identification card from the

Department of Public Safety.

(f) An application submitted under this section is

considered for all purposes an application submitted by mail under

this title.

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

implement this section, including rules to provide for security

measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of applications

submitted electronically.

(h) The rules adopted under Subsection (g) must require

that:

(1) the Internet website through which a person may

complete a voter registration application include a description of

the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location

on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the

application; and

(2) the state electronic Internet portal project is

used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an

application electronically under this section.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.