Sec. 87.027. SIGNATURE VERIFICATION COMMITTEE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a signature verification committee may be appointed in any election. The early voting clerk is the authority responsible for determining whether a signature verification committee is to be appointed. If the clerk determines that a committee is to be appointed, the clerk shall issue a written order calling for the appointment.

(a-1) A signature verification committee shall be appointed in the general election for state and county officers on submission to the early voting clerk of a written request for the committee by at least 15 registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted not later than the preceding October 1, and a request submitted by mail is considered to be submitted at the time of its receipt by the clerk.

(b) The following authority is responsible for appointing the members of a signature verification committee:

(1) the county election board, in an election for which the board is established;

(2) the county chair, in a primary election; and

(3) the governing body of the political subdivision, in an election ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a county.

(c) Not later than the fifth day after the date the early voting clerk issues the order calling for the appointment of a signature verification committee, or not later than October 15 for a committee required under Subsection (a-1), the appropriate authority shall appoint the members of the committee and designate one of the appointees as chair, subject to Subsection (d). The authority shall fill a vacancy on the committee by appointment as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs, subject to Subsection (d). The early voting clerk shall post notice of the name and residence address of each appointee. The notice must remain posted continuously for the period beginning the day after the date of the appointment and ending on the last day of the committee's operation in the election.

(d) The early voting clerk shall determine the number of members who are to compose the signature verification committee and shall state that number in the order calling for the committee's appointment. A committee must consist of not fewer than five members. In an election in which party alignment is indicated on the ballot, each county chair of a political party with a nominee or aligned candidate on the ballot shall submit to the appointing authority a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature verification committee. The authority shall appoint at least two persons from each list to serve as members of the committee. The same number of members must be appointed from each list. The authority shall appoint the chair of the committee from the list provided by the political party whose nominee for governor received the most votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election. A vacancy on the committee shall be filled by appointment from the original list or from a new list submitted by the appropriate county chair.

(e) To be eligible to serve on a signature verification committee, a person must be a qualified voter:

(1) of the county, in a countywide election ordered by the governor or a county authority or in a primary election;

(2) of the part of the county in which the election is held, for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority that does not cover the entire county of the person's residence; or

(3) of the political subdivision, in an election ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a county.

(f) The early voting clerk shall determine the place, day or days, and hours of operation of the signature verification committee and shall state that information in the order calling for the committee's appointment. A committee may not begin operating before the 20th day before election day.

(g) The early voting clerk shall post a copy of the order calling for the appointment of the signature verification committee. The copy must remain posted continuously for at least 10 days before the first day the committee meets.

(h) If a signature verification committee is appointed for the election, the early voting clerk shall deliver the jacket envelopes containing the early voting ballots voted by mail to the committee instead of to the early voting ballot board. Deliveries may be made only during the period of the committee's operation at times scheduled in advance of delivery by the early voting clerk. The clerk shall post notice of the time of each delivery. The notice must remain posted continuously for at least two days before the date of the delivery.

(i) The signature verification committee shall compare the signature on each carrier envelope certificate, except those signed for a voter by a witness, with the signature on the voter's ballot application to determine whether the signatures are those of the voter. The committee may also compare the signatures with any two or more signatures of the voter made within the preceding six years and on file with the county clerk or voter registrar to determine whether the signatures are those of the voter. Except as provided by Subsection (l), a determination under this subsection that the signatures are not those of the voter must be made by a majority vote of the committee's membership. The committee shall place the jacket envelopes, carrier envelopes, and applications of voters whose signatures are not those of the voter in separate containers from those of voters whose signatures are those of the voter. The committee chair shall deliver the sorted materials to the early voting ballot board at the time specified by the board's presiding judge.

(j) If a signature verification committee is appointed, the early voting ballot board shall follow the same procedure for accepting the early voting ballots voted by mail as in an election without a signature verification committee, except that the board may not determine whether a voter's signatures on the carrier envelope certificate and ballot application are those of the same person if the committee has determined that the signatures are those of the same person. If the committee has determined that the signatures are not those of the same person, the board may make a determination that the signatures are those of the same person by a majority vote of the board's membership.

(k) Postings required by this section shall be made on the bulletin board used for posting notice of meetings of the commissioners court of a county that does not maintain an Internet website, in an election for which the county election board is established or a primary election, or of the governing body of the political subdivision in other elections.

(k-1) If the county maintains an Internet website, postings required by this section shall be made on the county's Internet website in an election for which the county election board is established or a primary election.

(l) If more than 12 members are appointed to serve on the signature verification committee, the early voting clerk may designate two or more subcommittees of not less than six members. If subcommittees have been designated, a determination under Subsection (i) is made by a majority of the subcommittee.

(m) If ballot materials or ballot applications are recorded electronically as provided by Section 87.126, the signature verification committee may use an electronic copy of a carrier envelope certificate or the voter's ballot application in making the comparison under Subsection (i).

Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 472, Sec. 33, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 1.24; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 82, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1381, Sec. 20, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1316, Sec. 26, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 88 (S.B. 895), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1164 (H.B. 2817), Sec. 21, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 5), Sec. 14, eff. December 1, 2017.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1052 (H.B. 933), Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2019.