House Bill No. 209 seeks to delineate federal elections from state and local elections in Texas by establishing distinct practices and procedures for each. The bill amends the Election Code to redefine "federal election" to specifically refer to elections for federal offices, excluding presidential elector elections, and introduces new definitions for "federal judge" and "federal office." It prohibits state or county propositions from appearing on federal ballots and mandates that federal elections be held concurrently with state elections, utilizing the same precincts and polling locations where feasible. Additionally, the bill outlines voter registration procedures for federal elections, allowing military service voters and those temporarily living outside the U.S. to register under specific conditions, and establishes a separate federal ballot for these voters.

Moreover, the bill clarifies and updates processes related to voter registration, candidate applications, and election procedures. It states that the submission of a federal postcard application by an unregistered applicant constitutes registration for voting in elections for both state and county officers, as well as federal officers, provided the application meets specific requirements. The bill also specifies the authorities with whom applications for candidacy and withdrawal requests must be filed, and introduces amendments to ensure consistency in the certification and nomination processes for candidates across different levels of office. These changes aim to streamline election administration and enhance the clarity of the legal framework governing elections in Texas, with the bill set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 1.002, Election Code 1.005, Election Code 11.002, Election Code 15.003, Election Code 41.007, Election Code 42.002, Election Code 67.010, Election Code 84.014, Election Code 101.052, Election Code 101.053, Election Code 101.055, Election Code 142.005, Election Code 145.033, Election Code 145.037, Election Code 146.024, Election Code 161.008, Election Code 163.006, Election Code 172.059, Election Code 172.121, Election Code 172.122, Election Code 173.063, Election Code 181.0311, Election Code 181.032, Election Code 181.068, Election Code 231.008, Election Code 232.013, Election Code 232.048, Election Code 252.005 (Election Code 232, Election Code 15, Election Code 41, Election Code 163, Election Code 101, Election Code 142, Election Code 161, Election Code 145, Election Code 172, Election Code 11, Election Code 146, Election Code 84, Election Code 42, Election Code 252, Election Code 173, Election Code 67, Election Code 231, Election Code 1, Election Code 181)