Signed by Governor Greg Abbott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that restricts mail-in voting, drive-thru voting, and 24-hour voting.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a registrar to deliver an affidavit to election officials if it is determined that an ineligible voter registered to vote or voted in an election (Sec. 1.03).

• Requires registered voters to submit proof of citizenship to a registrar if the registrar is notified of people excused from jury duty for issues of citizenship status, or if the registrar is notified of individuals who indicate a lack of citizenship status on a motor vehicle or public safety record (Sec. 1.04a).

• Specifies that the Secretary of State must compare voter information with the records maintained by the Department of Public Safety to confirm the accuracy of the information provided by individuals registering to vote (Sec. 1.04a-1).

• Prohibits polling places from being located inside tents or other movable structures, and prohibits voters from casting votes from inside a motor vehicle (Sec. 2.01b).

• Requires that the presiding election judge confirm that each voting machine has the counter reset to zero and that the tape be printed to show that it has been reset to zero before opening the polls on election day (Sec. 2.02a).

• Requires the presiding judge to print the tape to show the number of votes for each candidate and measure on the ballot at the end of election day (Sec. 2.02c).

• Prohibits the use of equipment to tabulate votes if the equipment’s wireless connectivity capability has not been disabled or removed (Sec. 2.04).

• Specifies that early in-person voting may only occur between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. each weekday of the early voting period that is not a state holiday. Authorizes the election authority to determine which hours of that period to dedicate to early voting (Sec. 2.07).

• Prohibits voting systems’ ballots from being arranged to allow one party’s candidates to be selected in one motion or gesture (Sec. 2.12).

• Authorizes election officials to implement a video surveillance system to record all areas containing voted ballots, and requires that counties with a population greater than 100,000 make the video available to the public via livestream (Sec. 2.13).

• Classifies the failure of an election official to accept a watcher provided for service as a Class A misdemeanor (Sec. 3.02g).

• Authorizes a watcher to observe any and all activities conducted where he or she is serving (Sec. 3.03).

• Authorizes a watcher to observe all activities related to closing a polling place, and to follow the transfer of election materials from the polling place to a center for processing election materials (Sec. 3.04).

• Specifies that written communication of any sort between a public official and a voting systems vendor is public information (Sec. 3.08).

• Requires that applications for mail-in voting be submitted to election authorities using ink on paper, not an electronic or photocopied signature (Sec. 4.01).

• Prohibits state early voting clerks from soliciting a person to apply for an early voting ballot by mail (Sec. 4.02).

• Requires that early voting applicants include their driver’s license number, election identification certificate, state-issued personal identification card, or the last 4 digits of their social security number on their early voting application (Sec. 4.03).

• Prohibits state officials from distributing early voting application forms to people who have not requested them and from using state funds to allow another person to distribute an early voting application to someone who did not request one (Sec. 4.05).

• Specifies that early voters may be offered the opportunity to correct a defect on their submitted ballots, either by mail or by going to the early voting clerk’s office in person (Sec. 4.12).

• Requires any person who transports 3 or more people to a voting place to sign a form containing their name, address, and reason for providing assistance to the people being transported (Sec. 5.01).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that restricts mail-in voting, drive-thru voting, and 24-hour voting.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a registrar to deliver an affidavit to election officials if it is determined that an ineligible voter registered to vote or voted in an election (Sec. 1.03).

• Requires registered voters to submit proof of citizenship to a registrar if the registrar is notified of people excused from jury duty for issues of citizenship status, or if the registrar is notified of individuals who indicate a lack of citizenship status on a motor vehicle or public safety record (Sec. 1.04a).

• Specifies that the Secretary of State must compare voter information with the records maintained by the Department of Public Safety to confirm the accuracy of the information provided by individuals registering to vote (Sec. 1.04a-1).

• Prohibits polling places from being located inside tents or other movable structures, and prohibits voters from casting votes from inside a motor vehicle (Sec. 2.01b).

• Requires that the presiding election judge confirm that each voting machine has the counter reset to zero and that the tape be printed to show that it has been reset to zero before opening the polls on election day (Sec. 2.02a).

• Requires the presiding judge to print the tape to show the number of votes for each candidate and measure on the ballot at the end of election day (Sec. 2.02c).

• Prohibits the use of equipment to tabulate votes if the equipment’s wireless connectivity capability has not been disabled or removed (Sec. 2.04).

• Specifies that early in-person voting may only occur between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. each weekday of the early voting period that is not a state holiday. Authorizes the election authority to determine which hours of that period to dedicate to early voting (Sec. 2.07).

• Prohibits voting systems’ ballots from being arranged to allow one party’s candidates to be selected in one motion or gesture (Sec. 2.12).

• Authorizes election officials to implement a video surveillance system to record all areas containing voted ballots, and requires that counties with a population greater than 100,000 make the video available to the public via livestream (Sec. 2.13).

• Classifies the failure of an election official to accept a watcher provided for service as a Class A misdemeanor (Sec. 3.02g).

• Authorizes a watcher to observe any and all activities conducted where he or she is serving (Sec. 3.03).

• Authorizes a watcher to observe all activities related to closing a polling place, and to follow the transfer of election materials from the polling place to a center for processing election materials (Sec. 3.04).

• Specifies that written communication of any sort between a public official and a voting systems vendor is public information (Sec. 3.08).

• Requires that applications for mail-in voting be submitted to election authorities using ink on paper, not an electronic or photocopied signature (Sec. 4.01).

• Prohibits state early voting clerks from soliciting a person to apply for an early voting ballot by mail (Sec. 4.02).

• Requires that early voting applicants include their driver’s license number, election identification certificate, state-issued personal identification card, or the last 4 digits of their social security number on their early voting application (Sec. 4.03).

• Prohibits state officials from distributing early voting application forms to people who have not requested them and from using state funds to allow another person to distribute an early voting application to someone who did not request one (Sec. 4.05).

• Specifies that early voters may be offered the opportunity to correct a defect on their submitted ballots, either by mail or by going to the early voting clerk’s office in person (Sec. 4.12).

• Requires any person who transports 3 or more people to a voting place to sign a form containing their name, address, and reason for providing assistance to the people being transported (Sec. 5.01).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends various early voting laws to require individual signature verification on absentee ballots and prohibit drive-thru and 24-hour voting options.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a registrar to deliver an affidavit to election officials if it is determined that an ineligible voter registered to vote or voted in an election (Sec. 1.03).

• Requires registered voters to submit proof of citizenship to a registrar if the registrar is notified of people excused from jury duty for issues of citizenship status, or if the registrar is notified of individuals who indicate a lack of citizenship status on a motor vehicle or public safety record (Sec. 1.04a).

• Specifies that the Secretary of State must compare voter information with the records maintained by the Department of Public Safety to confirm the accuracy of the information provided by individuals registering to vote (Sec. 1.04a-1).

• Prohibits polling places from being located inside tents or other movable structures, and prohibits voters from casting votes from inside a motor vehicle (Sec. 2.01b).

• Requires that the presiding election judge confirm that each voting machine has the counter reset to zero and that the tape be printed to show that it has been reset to zero before opening the polls on election day (Sec. 2.02a).

• Requires the presiding judge to print the tape to show the number of votes for each candidate and measure on the ballot at the end of election day (Sec. 2.02c).

• Prohibits the use of equipment to tabulate votes if the equipment’s wireless connectivity capability has not been disabled or removed (Sec. 2.04).

• Specifies that early in-person voting may only occur between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. each weekday of the early voting period that is not a state holiday. Authorizes the election authority to determine which hours of that period to dedicate to early voting (Sec. 2.07).

• Prohibits voting systems’ ballots from being arranged to allow one party’s candidates to be selected in one motion or gesture (Sec. 2.12).

• Authorizes election officials to implement a video surveillance system to record all areas containing voted ballots, and requires that counties with a population greater than 100,000 make the video available to the public via livestream (Sec. 2.13).

• Classifies the failure of an election official to accept a watcher provided for service as a Class A misdemeanor (Sec. 3.02g).

• Authorizes a watcher to observe any and all activities conducted where he or she is serving (Sec. 3.03).

• Authorizes a watcher to observe all activities related to closing a polling place, and to follow the transfer of election materials from the polling place to a center for processing election materials (Sec. 3.04).

• Specifies that written communication of any sort between a public official and a voting systems vendor is public information (Sec. 3.08).

• Requires that applications for mail-in voting be submitted to election authorities using ink on paper, not an electronic or photocopied signature (Sec. 4.01).

• Prohibits state early voting clerks from soliciting a person to apply for an early voting ballot by mail (Sec. 4.02).

• Requires that early voting applicants include their driver’s license number, election identification certificate, state-issued personal identification card, or the last 4 digits of their social security number on their early voting application (Sec. 4.03).

• Prohibits state officials from distributing early voting application forms to people who have not requested them and from using state funds to allow another person to distribute an early voting application to someone who did not request one (Sec. 4.05).

• Specifies that early voters may be offered the opportunity to correct a defect on their submitted ballots, either by mail or by going to the early voting clerk’s office in person (Sec. 4.12).

• Requires any person who transports 3 or more people to a voting place to sign a form containing their name, address, and reason for providing assistance to the people being transported (Sec. 5.01).

Full Bill Text