PWC S.B. 292 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS ELECTIONS S.B. 292 By: Carona (Galloway, Carolyn) 4-1-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Texas law currently requires early voting by personal appearance to begin twenty days prior to election day and end four days before election day. This bill shortens the time period for early voting by having it begin seventeen days prior to election day. The first three days of early voting historically attract the fewest number of voters. The cost to the state and to political subdivisions of the state is quite high on a per voter basis. By reducing the time period of early voting by three days, the public would still have ample time to vote early while significantly lowering the cost to taxpayers. PURPOSE The bill as engrossed would provide that early voting by personal appearance begin on the seventeenth day before an election rather than on the twentieth day before an election. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Election Code Section 85.001(a) to provide that the period for early voting by personal appearance begins on the 17th day before election day, rather than the 20th day before election day, and continues through the fourth day before election day, except as otherwise provided by this section. Amends Election Code Section 85.001(c) to provide that if the date required by Subsection (a) or (b) for beginning early voting is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state holiday, the period begins on the next regular business day or on that Saturday or Sunday if early voting is ordered to be conducted on that day under Election Code Section 85.006. SECTION 2. Establishes the effective date as September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.