Texas SB 55: 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.

Bill Text

By:AAZaffirini S.B.ANo.A55
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:
SECTIONA1.AASection 13.001, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (d) and (e)
to read as follows:
(a)AATo be eligible for registration as a voter in this
state, a person must:
(1)AAexcept as provided by Subsection (d), be 18 years
of age or older;
(2)AAbe a United States citizen;
(3)AAnot have been determined by a final judgment of a
court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
(A)AAtotally mentally incapacitated; or
(B)AApartially mentally incapacitated without the
right to vote;
(4)AAnot have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
so convicted, must have:
(A)AAfully 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)AAbeen pardoned or otherwise released from the
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resulting disability to vote; and
(5)AAbe a resident of the county in which application
for registration is made.
(b)AAExcept 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)AAA 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)AAThe 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.
SECTIONA2.AA Subchapter A, Chapter 172, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 172.005 to read as follows:
Sec.A172.005.AAVOTING BY PERSON UNDER AGE 18. (a)
Notwithstanding Section 11.001, a person may vote in a primary
election if the person:
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S.B.ANo.A55
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(1)AAwill be 18 years of age or older on the date of the
subsequent general election for state and county officers; and
(2)AAsatisfies the requirements for being a qualified
voter except for age.
(b)AAThe 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.
SECTIONA3.AAThis 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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S.B.ANo.A55
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