1. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
11/18/2018
Updates and Remarks
Keith Ingram, Director
Ashley Fischer, Legal Director
Betsy Schonhoff, Voter Registration Manager
32nd Annual Election Seminar – July 2014
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

2. Texas Secretary of State
Agenda
New Employees, New Office
Senate Bill 14 and Litigation
Legislative Update
Other Updates
Federal Updates
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

3. Texas Secretary of State
New Employees
Andre Montgomery, Staff Attorney
Yahitza Nunez, Staff Attorney
Jason Chapman, VR Team
Oscar Trejo, VR Team
Lillian Eder, VR Team
Monica Brown, Executive Assistant
Natalie Marquez, Legal Administrative Assistant
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

4. Texas Secretary of State
New Office
James Earl Rudder Building
1019 Brazos Street, 2nd Floor
Austin, Texas 78701
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

5. Texas Secretary of State
Senate Bill 14
Since June 2013, we’ve had three statewide elections under Senate Bill 14. All elections have been smooth, secure and successful.
You all have done and an excellent job training poll workers and implementing changes!
THANK YOU!!!
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

6. Texas Secretary of State
What Needs Work
Reviewing Acceptable IDs
Procedures for Substantially Similar Names
Offering Provisional Ballots
Accepting IDs Without Barcodes
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

7. Reviewing Acceptable IDs
REMEMBER:
Addresses do not have to match between ID and OLRV. Only helps voters in the “totality of the circumstances.”
Remember that some forms of acceptable identification do not have addresses, e.g. military IDs-CACs and Uniformed Services IDs.
Remember Veterans Affairs cards are acceptable!
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

8. Substantially Similar Name
REMEMBER:
An exact name match is not required!
Voters with substantially similar names vote a regular ballot. They do not vote provisionally.
Name change forms are optional, and not required for voting.
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

9. Offering Provisional Ballots
REMEMBER:
No one should be turned away from voting for any reason.
If a voter cannot vote a regular ballot, a provisional ballot MUST to be offered to them!!!
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

10. Accepting IDs Without Barcodes
REMEMBER:
Not all forms of acceptable IDs are issued by DPS and have a barcode that can be scanned.
These IDs are still acceptable, and election workers should not be asking voters for a Texas driver’s license to avoid looking up the voter on the OLRV or e-pollbook.
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

11. Texas Secretary of State
Litigation Update
The trial is scheduled to begin September 2 in the federal Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi.
What may happen? We won’t know until the court issues its ruling, but the law may be overturned. There may also be subsequent appeals to the 5th Circuit and potentially injunctions.
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

12. Texas Secretary of State
Litigation Update
What does this mean? We may have changes in law near or during the November 4 general election, and there may be more than one change. For example, the district court may overturn the law, but, if requested, the higher court (5th Circuit) may issue an injunction keeping the law in place through the end of the election or vice versa.
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

13. Texas Secretary of State
Litigation Update
How do we handle this possibility?
Our office will send advisories as soon as any court issues a ruling.
We will edit our website immediately to provide the correct forms and handbooks, depending on what law should be implemented.
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

14. Texas Secretary of State
Legislative Update
Elections Committee Hearings and Meetings
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

15. Texas Secretary of State
Other Updates
Voting Systems
NCSL meeting
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State

16. Texas Secretary of State
Federal Updates
EAC Commissioners
Proposed VRA amendment
SENTRI Act
11/18/2018
Texas Secretary of State