The bill amends the Election Code to establish a system for the electronic identification and tracking of early voting ballots that are voted by mail. It introduces a new section, 52.076, which mandates that each mail-in ballot must include a scannable code that can be read by electronic devices to verify the ballot's authenticity. This code must correspond to a number assigned to the ballot and prohibits the creation of any record linking an individual voter to the code. Additionally, the secretary of state is tasked with creating rules for the design and distribution of a system to generate and track these codes, ensuring the prevention of unauthorized reproduction or misuse of mail ballots.

Further amendments include the requirement for clerks to identify the scannable code before issuing the ballot and to maintain a record of issued ballots. The bill also introduces a new section, 86.016, which allows voters to track their carrier envelope containing the ballot while in transit. It establishes procedures for the early voting ballot board to verify the scannable code against recorded codes, with provisions for handling ballots that do not match. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 86.001, Election Code 87.062, Election Code 87.103 (Election Code 87, Election Code 86)
House Committee Report: Election Code 86.001, Election Code 86.013, Election Code 87.062, Election Code 87.103 (Election Code 87, Election Code 86)