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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the procedure for duplicating ballots for automatic |
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counting. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 127.126, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (g) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The manager of a central counting station may have |
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ballots duplicated for automatic counting as provided by this |
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section. The manager shall designate teams of two election |
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officers to prepare the duplicate ballots. Each officer must be |
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aligned or affiliated with a different political party unless there |
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are not two or more election officers serving the central counting |
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station who are aligned with different parties. |
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(a-1) The election officers designated under Subsection (a) |
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shall prepare a duplicate ballot by having one officer announce the |
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name of the candidate and the other officer mark the ballot with the |
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name of that candidate. Each duplicate ballot must be |
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independently reviewed by a second team of two election officers, |
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each of whom is aligned or affiliated with a different political |
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party as described by Subsection (a). |
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(g) The manager of a central counting station shall post the |
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time that ballots will be duplicated to ensure that poll watchers |
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are able to observe the activity under this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |