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Bill

SB 396

Relating to confirmation of a voter's residence by a voter registrar.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Paul Bettencourt and 8 co-sponsors

SB 396 requires Texas voter registrars to verify applicant residence before processing registrations, strengthening roll accuracy but potentially increasing administrative delays and access barriers.

Committee report sent to Calendars
#elections--registration&suffrage(i0265)
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Bill Summary · SB 396

Legislative bill overview

SB 396 modifies Texas election law to require voter registrars to confirm a voter's current residence before processing voter registration applications or transfers. The bill establishes specific procedures and timelines for registrars to verify that applicants are actually domiciled at the addresses they provide on registration forms.

Why is this important

Voter registration accuracy directly affects election administration and can influence voter roll maintenance. Confirming residence addresses helps prevent duplicate registrations, non-resident voting, and maintains cleaner voter rolls—though verification methods and their effectiveness remain subjects of debate among election officials and voting rights advocates.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation burden: Voter registrars may lack adequate resources, funding, or established verification methods to efficiently confirm residence for all applicants without creating processing delays
  • Voter access impact: Stringent residence verification could disenfranchise eligible voters who lack traditional documentation (homeless populations, recent movers, renters) or experience administrative errors in verification processes
  • Definition ambiguity: The bill's specific criteria for "confirming" residence—whether through utility bills, leases, official documents, or other means—may not be clearly defined, creating inconsistent application across counties

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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