HBA-LCA H.B. 1825 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1825
By: Hochberg
Public Education
4/10/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, all elections in Texas are conducted at polls.  While early
voting is available, anyone not voting absentee must go to a poll to cast a
vote.  The State of Oregon has conducted elections by mail for several
years, and has seen a significant decrease in the cost of conducting an
election by mail, rather than at polls.  H.B. 1825 establishes a pilot
program, under the Office of the Secretary of State, to conduct elections
by mail.  The pilot program, which has been applied successfully in the
State of Oregon, may reduce the cost of administering a poll election,
while maintaining a low incidence of fraud. The pilot program established
under this bill requires the use of a signature identification envelope,
which provides for comparison with the signature on a voter's registration
card. The pilot program will use a school district election as a model. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill is
expressly delegated to the secretary of state in SECTION 1 of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  (a)  Sets forth the required procedures under which the
secretary of state is required, by rule, to conduct a mail ballot election
pilot program. 

(b)  Authorizes the secretary of state to modify provisions of the Election
Code to allow for the mail ballot election.  Prohibits the secretary of
state from allowing a ballot to be cast any later than current law
provides. 

(c)  Requires the secretary of state, between the conclusion of the
election and the first day of the regular session of the 77th Legislature,
to file a report evaluating the use of the mail ballot election with the
governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives.
Provides that the report must include a comparison of costs and turnout
between a mail ballot and a regular election, and that it identify any
problems occurring with a mail ballot election.  Requires the secretary of
state to recommend whether mail ballot elections should be used in the
future, and how the mail ballot elections should be implemented. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.