HBA-TYH C.S.H.B. 306 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 306 By: Madden Elections 4/30/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there is a decrease in the percentage of registered voters casting votes. Accessibility to the polling place and cynicism about the election process are two possible reasons for the decrease. In high growth areas, polling locations can change repeatedly from one election to the next. C.S.H.B. 306 ensures that all voters have ready access to information about the locations of polling places. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 43, Election Code, by adding Subchapter C, as follows: SUBCHAPTER C. INFORMATION REGARDING LOCATION OF POLLING PLACE Sec. 43.061. NOTICE AT PREVIOUS POLLING PLACE. Requires the authority responsible for giving notice of elections, if possible, to post notice at the entrance to the previous polling place, stating that the location has changed and giving the new location, if the location of the polling place for an election precinct is different from the location used in the preceding election. Sec. 43.062. USE OF COMPUTERIZED INFORMATION. Requires an election officer, in an election in which detailed poll location information is available at a polling place through a computer, to assist voters in determining the correct polling place location for the voter's election precinct. SECTION 2. Amends Section 62.001, Election Code, by adding Subsection (b), to require the presiding judge at the polling place to take appropriate steps to provide for the security of the polling place, if it is left unattended at any time after the preparations for voting begin. Provides that this subsection does not affect the security requirements for a polling place after the polls open. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute modifies the original bill by deleting SECTIONS 3 and 4 of the original bill and redesignating SECTIONS 5 (effective date) and 6 (emergency clause) to SECTIONS 3 and 4, respectively. In the original bill, SECTION 3 prohibited a voter from possessing a written communication that was prepared and furnished to the voter by another person, or was marked or printed to identify one or more candidates or measures for which the voter has agreed or has been requested to vote, and provided a penalty of a Class C misdemeanor for an offense under this section. In the original bill, SECTION 4 provided that a voter must be unable to use a voting machine or device at the polling place entrance or curb to be eligible to vote by the early voting procedure. The substitute modifies the original bill in SECTION 2 (proposed Section 62.001(b), Election Code) by providing that this subsection does not affect the security requirements for a polling place after the polls open.