SB2217 - Relating to certain election practices and procedures.

      S.B. No. 2217         AN ACT   relating to certain election practices and procedures.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 15.025, Election Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as   follows:          (a)  Except as provided by Subsections (b) , [ and ] (d), and   (e), the registration of a voter described by this subsection whose   information is changed on the registration records becomes   effective as to the change on the 30th day after:                (1)  the date the voter submits to the registrar a   notice of a change in registration information under Section 15.021   or a response under Section 15.053, indicating the change; or                (2)  the date the voter submits a statement of   residence to an election officer under Section 63.0011 or a   registration application or change of address to an agency employee   under Chapter 20, indicating the change.           (e)     A voter's registration takes effect immediately upon   the registrar's receipt of a notice of the voter's change of address   submitted under Section 15.021, Section 63.0011, Section 15.053, or   Chapter 20 if the voter changes residence within the same county as   the voter's current registration address.          SECTION 2.  Section 31.014, Election Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as   follows:          (a)  The secretary of state shall prescribe specific   requirements and standards, consistent with this code, for the   certification of an electronic device used to accept voters under   Chapter 63 that require the device to:                (1)  produce an electronic copy of the list of voters   who were accepted to vote for delivery to the election judge after   the polls close;                (2)  display the voter's original signature in   accordance with Section 63.002;                (3)  accept a voter for voting even when the device is   off-line;                (4)  provide the full list of voters registered in the   county with an indication of the jurisdictional or distinguishing   number for each territorial unit in which each voter resides;                (5)  time-stamp when each voter is accepted at a   polling place, including the voter's unique identifier;                (6)  if the county participates in the countywide   polling place program under Section 43.007 or has more than one   early voting polling place, transmit a time stamp when each voter is   accepted, including the voter's unique identifier, to all polling   place locations;                (7)  time-stamp the receipt of a transmission under   Subdivision (6); [ and ]                (8)  produce in an electronic format compatible with   the statewide voter registration list under Section 18.061 data for   retention and transfer that includes:                      (A)  the polling location in which the device was   used;                      (B)  the dated time stamp under Subdivision (5);   and                      (C)  the dated time stamp under Subdivision (7) ;                 (9)     produce a report with all information required to   be included on a combination form under Chapter 63 and Section   64.032; and                 (10)     produce a copy of the list of all voters who were   accepted to vote, including a reference to the voter's county   election precinct and polling location where the voter was accepted   to vote .           (a-1)     Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent an   election official from redacting information included on a document   described by Subsection (a) as necessary to preserve a voter's   right to a secret ballot protected under Section 4, Article VI,   Texas Constitution.          SECTION 3.  Sections 63.0011(b) and (c), Election Code, are   amended to read as follows:          (b)  If the voter's residence address is not current because   the voter has changed residence within the county, the voter may   vote, if otherwise eligible, in the election precinct in which the   voter resides [ is registered ] if the voter resides in the county in   which the voter is registered [ and, if applicable:                [ (1)     resides in the political subdivision served by   the authority ordering the election if the political subdivision is   other than the county; or                [ (2)     resides in the territory covered by the election   in a less-than-countywide election ordered by the governor or a   county authority ].          (c)  Before being accepted for voting, the voter must execute   and submit to an election officer a statement including:                (1)  a statement that the voter satisfies the   applicable residence requirement [ requirements ] prescribed by   Subsection (b);                (2)  all of the information that a person must include   in an application to register to vote under Section 13.002; [ and ]                (3)  the date the statement is submitted to the   election officer ; and                   (4)     a request to the registrar to change the voter's   registration address to the address at which the voter resides .          SECTION 4.  Section 65.057, Election Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:           (c)     When reporting the results of a count under this   section, provisional ballots cast during the early voting period   shall be included with the results for early voting by personal   appearance, and provisional ballots cast on election day shall be   included with the results for election day.          SECTION 5.  Subchapter A, Chapter 66, Election Code, is   amended by adding Sections 66.005 and 66.006 to read as follows:           Sec.   66.005.     POST ELECTION RECONCILIATION. (a) Not later   than the 30th day after election day, the general custodian of   election records shall prepare a reconciliation of the total number   of votes cast and the total number of voters accepted to vote by   personal appearance at each polling place in the custodian's county   during the early voting period and on election day respectively.           (b)     The general custodian of election records shall post the   results of a reconciliation conducted under Subsection (a) on the   county's Internet website in the same location that the county   provides information on election results.           Sec.   66.006.     PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION OF CERTAIN REPORTS   FROM ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO ACCEPT VOTERS. (a) The general   custodian of election records for an authority holding an election   that uses an electronic device certified under Section 31.014 to   accept voters shall prepare a report including information   described by Sections 31.014(a)(9) and (10) not later than the 30th   day after election day.           (b)     A report produced under Subsection (a) is an election   record under Section 1.012 and shall be retained by the general   custodian of election records for the period for preserving the   precinct election records.          SECTION 6.  Section 121.003, Election Code, is amended by   adding Subdivision (14) to read as follows:                 (14)     "Central accumulator" means a part of a voting   system that tabulates or consolidates the vote totals for multiple   precincts.          SECTION 7.  Subchapter C, Chapter 125, Election Code, is   amended by adding Section 125.0635 to read as follows:           Sec.   125.0635.     POLLING PLACE REPORT FOR VOTING FOR CERTAIN   ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS. (a) This section only applies to a   polling place that requires a voter's ballot to be scanned at the   polling place with an optical scanner.           (b)     Immediately after closing the polling place at the end   of the period for early voting by personal appearance and on   election day, the presiding election judge shall generate a report   from each optical scanner used at the polling place regarding the   total number of ballots scanned by that scanner during the period   for early voting by personal appearance or election day, as   applicable.           (c)     A report produced under Subsection (b) at an early   voting polling place may not include information on the number of   votes received by a candidate or for or against any proposition.          SECTION 8.  Subchapter E, Chapter 127, Election Code, is   amended by adding Sections 127.1302 and 127.133 to read as follows:           Sec.   127.1302.     REQUIRED REPORT FOR OPTICAL SCANNERS. (a)   In an election using centrally counted optical scan ballots, the   presiding judge of the central counting station shall prepare a   report regarding the total number of ballots scanned by each   optical scanner from each data storage device.           (b)     The presiding judge of the central counting station   shall prepare one report for the total number of ballots from each   specific data storage device.           (c)     The presiding judge of the central counting station must   prepare the report for a data storage device under Subsection (a)   before the information from the storage device is read into a   central accumulator.           (d)     A report prepared under Subsection (a) before the   opening of polling locations on election day may not contain   information on the number of votes cast for any candidate or for or   against any proposition.           Sec.   127.133.     REQUIRED REPORT FROM CENTRAL ACCUMULATOR.   (a) This section only applies to an election held on or after   September 1, 2026.             (b)     An election system that uses a central accumulator must   be capable of producing a report with the total number of votes   received by each candidate and for or against each proposition for   each polling place.          SECTION 9.  This Act applies only to an election ordered on   or after the effective date of this Act.          SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.               ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                 I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2217 passed the Senate on   May 1, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 27, Nays 4;   May 29, 2025, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and   requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 30, 2025, House   granted request of the Senate; June 1, 2025, Senate adopted   Conference Committee Report by the following vote:  Yeas 26,   Nays 5.       ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate          &# [Text truncated for display. 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