HBA-CMT H.B. 1598 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1598
By: Danburg
Elections
4/4/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current Texas election law authorizes forwarding agents to handle
applications for early voting by mail as well as the balloting materials
mailed to applicants.  Complaints have been made to the secretary of
state's office alleging abuse of this system.  House Bill 1598 prohibits
the mailing of balloting materials to the address of a forwarding agent. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the secretary of state in SECTION 2
(Section 86.003, Elections Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1598 amends the Election Code to provide that an early voting
ballot application must include the address outside the applicant's county
of residence to which the mail-in ballot is to be mailed for receipt of the
applicant if the ballot is to be voted by mail on the ground of absence
from the county of residence. If a voter is absent from the county of
residence at the time of election, the address to which balloting materials
for voting by mail are sent must be an address outside the voter's county
of residence that is not an address of a forwarding agent.  The bill
requires the secretary of state to prescribe any necessary rules to
describe a forwarding agent for purposes of the bill.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.