House Committee on Elections - 80th R.S. (2007)

Committee:	House Elections
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Election administration | Election fraud | Email | Lobbyists | Political advertising | Provisional ballots | State purchasing | Voter identification | Voter registration | Voting by mail | Voting systems |
Library Call Number:	L1836.80 EL25he
Session:	80th R.S. (2007)
Online version:	View report [161 pages  File size: 19,242 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the general issue of electronic voting technology, including the issues of general benefits and risks, security and accuracy, paper trails, etc.
2.	Examine the prevalence of fraud in Texas elections, considering prosecution rates and measures for prevention. Study new laws in other states regarding voter identification, and recommend statutory changes necessary to ensure that only eligible voters can vote in Texas elections. Specifically study the Texas mail-in ballot system, the provisional voting system, and the various processes for purging voter lists of ineligible voters.
3.	Monitor the continued implementation of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 by the Office of the Secretary of State, specifically including the implementation of the Texas Election Administration Management system to maintain voter registration records, administer elections, and execute and report election results.
4.	Study poll worker recruitment and training in Texas, and suggest possible statutory improvements.
5.	Monitor which counties are chosen by the Office of the Secretary of State for the new super precinct pilot program, and observe their progress.
6.	Study the exemption in the Texas lobby contingent fee ban, which currently permits contingent fees and does not require lobby registration, for influencing the purchasing of goods and services by a state agency. Consider whether this exemption should be amended or repealed.
7.	Research the current Texas law prohibiting the use of public resources for political advertising, and determine whether the law needs to be amended to clarify that publicly funded e-mail systems may not be used for political advertising.
8.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.

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