House Bill No. 1002 amends various sections of the Texas Election Code to enhance the management and preservation of election records. Key changes include the requirement for registers to include additional details such as the range of serial numbers for ballots received and provided to voters, as well as the serial numbers of spoiled ballots. The bill also mandates that provisional ballots be placed in separate envelopes marked by precinct, and that rejected provisional ballots be organized in segregated envelopes. Furthermore, it extends the preservation period for precinct election records to at least 36 months and introduces new protocols for securely transferring and sealing voted ballots and election records.

Additional provisions include the creation of an index of voted ballots categorized by precinct and polling place, which must be made publicly available online. The bill stipulates that any opening of ballot boxes must be witnessed by two individuals who will sign a sworn statement documenting the process. It also repeals a previous section of the Election Code, streamlining the regulations surrounding election record management. The changes are set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 65.013, Election Code 65.055, Election Code 65.056, Election Code 66.002, Election Code 279.001, Election Code 66.058, Election Code 66.059, Election Code 66.060, Election Code 66.025 (Election Code 279, Election Code 66, Election Code 65)