1-1 By: Madden, Hochberg (Senate Sponsor - Shapiro) H.B. No. 563 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 2001; 1-3 May 10, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to certain practices and procedures involved with a 1-9 polling place used in an election. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Chapter 43, Election Code, is amended by adding 1-12 Subchapter C to read as follows: 1-13 SUBCHAPTER C. INFORMATION REGARDING LOCATION OF POLLING PLACE 1-14 Sec. 43.061. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF LOCATION OF POLLING PLACE. 1-15 (a) This section applies only to a general or special election 1-16 that is ordered by the governor or the county judge. 1-17 (b) If the location of a polling place changes after notice 1-18 of an election is given under Section 4.003, the county clerk shall 1-19 give notice of the change not later than the earlier of: 1-20 (1) 24 hours after the location is changed; or 1-21 (2) 24 hours before the polls open on election day. 1-22 (c) Notice required by Subsection (b) must be given by: 1-23 (1) notifying each candidate whose name appears on the 1-24 ballot in the election or, in the case of an office filled by 1-25 voters of more than one county, notifying the county chair or, for 1-26 an independent candidate, the county judge of the county in which 1-27 the change occurs; or 1-28 (2) posting the notice in a listing used specifically 1-29 to inform the public of changes to the location of a polling place 1-30 on any Internet website that the county clerk maintains to provide 1-31 information on elections held in the county. 1-32 Sec. 43.062. NOTICE AT PREVIOUS POLLING PLACE. If the 1-33 location of the polling place for an election precinct is different 1-34 from the location used for the precinct in the preceding election 1-35 ordered by the same authority, the authority responsible for giving 1-36 notice of the election shall, if possible, post notice at the 1-37 entrance to the previous polling place stating that the location 1-38 has changed and providing the location of the new polling place. 1-39 Sec. 43.063. USE OF COMPUTERIZED INFORMATION. In an 1-40 election in which detailed poll location information is available 1-41 at a polling place through a computer, an election officer shall 1-42 provide that information to assist voters in determining the 1-43 correct polling place location for the voter's election precinct. 1-44 SECTION 2. Section 62.001, Election Code, is amended to read 1-45 as follows: 1-46 Sec. 62.001. OFFICERS TO ASSEMBLE. (a) On election day, the 1-47 presiding judge and the election clerks the judge assigns to assist 1-48 with preparing the polling place shall meet at the polling place in 1-49 time to prepare it to receive the voters. 1-50 (b) If the polling place is left unattended at any time 1-51 after the preparations for voting begin, the presiding judge shall 1-52 take appropriate steps to provide for the security of the polling 1-53 place. This subsection does not affect the security requirements 1-54 for a polling place after the polls open. 1-55 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-56 * * * * *