§ 86.015 — ELECTRONIC TRACKING OF APPLICATION FOR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL OR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL.

Texas § 86.015

• Jurisdiction: Texas
• Code EL: Election Code

Text

Sec. 86.015. ELECTRONIC TRACKING OF APPLICATION FOR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL OR BALLOT VOTED BY MAIL. (a) The secretary of state shall develop or otherwise provide an online tool to each early voting clerk on the secretary's Internet website and on the county's Internet website if the early voting clerk is the county clerk of a county that maintains an Internet website that enables a person who submits an application for a ballot to be voted by mail to:
(1) track the location and status of the person's application and ballot; and
(2) receive notice of and, if possible, correct a defect in the person's application and ballot under Sections 86.008 (c-1), 86.011 (j), 87.0271 (e-1), and 87.0411 (e-1).
(b) The online tool developed or provided under Subsection (a) must require the voter to provide, before permitting the voter to access information described by that subsection:
(1) the voter's name and date of birth and the last four digits of the voter's social security number; and
(2) the voter's:
(A) driver's license number; or
(B) personal identification card number issued by the Department of Public Safety.
(c) An online tool used under this section must:
(1) for each election, record:
(A) each application for a ballot to be voted by mail received by the clerk; and
(B) each carrier envelope sent to a voter by the clerk;
(2) for each carrier envelope, record or assign a serially numbered and sequentially issued barcode or tracking number that is unique to each envelope;
(3) update the applicable Internet website as soon as practicable after each of the following events occurs:
(A) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's application for a ballot to be voted by mail;
(B) acceptance or rejection by the early voting clerk of the person's application for a ballot to be voted by mail;
(C) placement in the mail by the early voting clerk of the person's official ballot;
(D) receipt by the early voting clerk of the person's marked ballot; and
(E) acceptance or rejection by the early voting ballot board of a person's marked ballot; and
(4) allow a voter to add or correct information required under Section 84.002 (a)(1-a) or Section 86.002 (g).
(d) The secretary of state shall adopt rules and prescribe procedures as necessary to implement this section.
(e) The information contained in Subsection (c) is not public information for purposes of Chapter 552 , Government Code, until after election day.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 317 (H.B. 1382 ), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021. Amended by: Acts 2021, 87th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 1 ), Sec. 5.10, eff. December 2, 2021. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 799 (H.B. 357 ), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2023. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1167 (S.B. 1599 ), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2023. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 80 (S.B. 2964 ), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.