Sec. 105.001.  ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF COMPLETED BALLOT.  (a)  The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to allow a person who is casting an early voting ballot by mail to return the ballot by telephonic facsimile machine or similar electronic means if the person:
(1)  is a member of the armed forces of the United States who is on active duty overseas, or the spouse or a dependent of the member;  and
(2)  is casting the ballot from an area:
(A)  in which members of the armed forces are eligible to receive hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay;  or
(B)  that has been designated by the president of the United States as a combat zone.
(b)  The procedures must:
(1)  provide for verification of the voter;
(2)  provide for the security of the transmission;  and
(3)  require the early voting clerk to maintain a record of each ballot received under this section.
(c)  A ballot transmitted under this section or by mail may not be counted if the ballot has previously been transmitted to the early voting clerk by electronic means under this section.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 45, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.