Keep in mind that President Trump’s 03/25/2025 Executive Order on Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections sets new standards for improving the security of voting systems, which may cause many Texas counties to be looking at new equipment in the near future!

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/preserving-and-protecting-the-integrity-of-american-elections/ 

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Source:  2023_RCV_Maps_Texas_final2.pdf - Google Drive

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As Texas law exists today in Section 15.051 of the Election Code, a voter registrar must send a confirmation notice to a voter if the registrar notices that voter's registration address is a commercial post office box (as added by Senator Bettencourt's S.B. 1111 in 2021), or if the registrar has any reason to believe the voter's current residential address is different from that indicated on records. If a voter does not properly respond to the confirmation notice they are placed on the Suspense List and marked with an "S" next to their name. They are unable to cast a ballot without proving residence using a form described by Section 15.054.

In addition to this procedure, S.B. 396 would require a voter registrar to send a confirmation notice to a voter who on November 30 following a general election had not voted in the previous 25 months. This would mirror Ohio legislation, in that in that it would cancel the registration of a voter who failed to respond to a confirmation notice and who has not voted or updated the voter's registration two general elections occurring after the confirmation notice was mailed. The language of S.B. 396 follows closely that of Ohio, which was upheld by the United States Supreme Court in Husted vs Randolph Institute argued before the court in 2018. 

Key Provisions

• Requires the voter registrar to send a confirmation notice to all voters who on November 30 of an even-numbered year had not voted in the previous 25 months.

• This bill will require registrars to follow Chapters 15 and 16, Election Code, regarding the suspension and removal of voters who do not respond to confirmation notices.

As proposed, S.B. 396 amends current law relating to confirmation of a voter's residence by a voter registrar. 

Senator Lois Kolkhorst’s S.B. 396 was engrossed by the Senate on April 1^st and referred to the House Elections Committee on April 9^th. The companion bill, H.B. 4253 by State Rep. Stan Gerdes, is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Elections Committee this week, on April 17^th.  State Rep. Matt Morgan also filed duplicate companion bill, H.B. 2272.

FLOOR AMENDMENTS

Use this link in Texas Legislature Online (TLO): to find amendments.

https://capitol.texas.gov/Search/AmendSearch.aspx

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As of 04/07/25, Number of bills this session...

Left pending in House Committee or Subcommittee: 1,242

Passed to Engrossment by the House: 27

Left pending in Senate Committee or Subcommittee: 652

Passed to Engrossment by the Senate: 86

Bills signed by the Governor: 0

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Mark your calendars – Early Voting runs April 22-29, with Election Day right around the corner on May 3rd, 2025! Ready to be part of something important?

The Texas Election Network stands ready to serve as your trusted guide for meaningful civic participation in these upcoming local elections. We're offering fantastic training sessions to prepare you for roles as an Election Worker, Poll Watcher, Signature Verification Committee member, Early Voting Ballot Board member, or Central Count worker – where you'll help safeguard the integrity of every ballot cast!

Don't worry if you're new to this – our comprehensive training will teach you critical skills to safeguard are upcoming elections. These local elections might not get all the media attention, but they're where decisions about your schools, roads, and community services happen!

So what do you say? Ready to help make our April 22-29 Early Voting period and May 3rd Election Day run smoothly? Sign up for training today and elevate your skills to safeguard these critical elections. It's not just about one election – it's about building a tradition of citizen involvement that makes Texas stronger for years to come!

Melissa Conway

Texas Election Network

Managing Director

832-648-0770

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