Bill Text: TX SB55 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age on the date of the general election for state and county officers to vote in the preceding primary elections.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-01 - Referred to State Affairs [SB55 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB55-Introduced.html
  86R315 SRS-F
 
  By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 55
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age on the date
  of the general election for state and county officers to vote in the
  preceding primary elections.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 13.001, Election Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (d) and (e)
  to read as follows:
         (a)  To be eligible for registration as a voter in this
  state, a person must:
               (1)  except as provided by Subsection (d), be 18 years
  of age or older;
               (2)  be a United States citizen;
               (3)  not have been determined by a final judgment of a
  court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
                     (A)  totally mentally incapacitated; or
                     (B)  partially mentally incapacitated without the
  right to vote;
               (4)  not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
  so convicted, must have:
                     (A)  fully discharged the person's sentence,
  including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or
  completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
                     (B)  been pardoned or otherwise released from the
  resulting disability to vote; and
               (5)  be a resident of the county in which application
  for registration is made.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), to [To] be
  eligible to apply for registration, a person must, on the date the
  registration application is submitted to the registrar, be at least
  17 years and 10 months of age and satisfy the requirements of
  Subsection (a) except for age.
         (d)  A person who will be 18 years of age or older on the date
  of the next general election for state and county officers is
  eligible to register as a voter in this state for the purposes of
  voting in the primary election to determine a political party's
  nominees for the general election if the person satisfies the
  requirements of Subsection (a) except for age. The secretary of
  state shall prescribe procedures necessary to implement this
  subsection.
         (e)  The voter registrar may send a written notice to each
  person who registers to vote under Subsection (d) stating that the
  person is only eligible to vote in a primary election or runoff
  primary election and that the person is not eligible to vote in any
  other election until the person is 18 years of age. The notice may
  list the elections in which the person is not eligible to vote.
         SECTION 2.   Subchapter A, Chapter 172, Election Code, is
  amended by adding Section 172.005 to read as follows:
         Sec. 172.005.  VOTING BY PERSON UNDER AGE 18.  (a)
  Notwithstanding Section 11.001, a person may vote in a primary
  election if the person:
               (1)  will be 18 years of age or older on the date of the
  subsequent general election for state and county officers; and
               (2)  satisfies the requirements for being a qualified
  voter except for age.
         (b)  The secretary of state, after consulting with the state
  chairman of each political party required to make nominations by
  primary election, shall prescribe the procedures necessary to
  implement this section.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect on the date on which the
  constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2019, authorizing a person who will be 18 years of age or
  older on the date of the general election for state and county
  officers to vote in the preceding primary election takes effect. If
  that amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no
  effect.
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