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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the hours during which the polls are open for early |
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voting by personal appearance. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 12.004(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The [If early voting by personal appearance is required
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to be conducted for extended hours under Section 85.005(c) or for
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weekend hours under Section 85.006(e), the] registrar's office |
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shall remain open for providing voter registration information |
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during the [extended hours or weekend] hours that the main early |
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voting polling place is open for voting, including the weekend |
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hours the main early voting polling place is required to be open |
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under Section 85.006(e). |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.005(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Early [Except as provided by Subsection (c), in an
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election in which a county clerk or city secretary is the early
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voting clerk under Section 83.002 or 83.005, early] voting by |
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personal appearance at the main early voting polling place shall |
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begin at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. [be conducted] on the weekdays of |
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the early voting period [and during the hours that the county
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clerk's or city secretary's main business office is regularly open
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for business]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.007(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The election order and the election notice must state: |
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(1) the date that early voting will begin if under |
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Section 85.001(d) the early voting period is to begin later than the |
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prescribed date; |
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(2) the regular dates and hours that voting will be |
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conducted under Section 85.005 [85.005(b)]; and |
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(3) the dates and hours that voting on Saturday or |
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Sunday is ordered to be conducted under Section 85.006(a). |
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SECTION 4. Sections 85.064(b) and (c), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) Early voting by personal appearance at each temporary |
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branch polling place established under Section 85.062(d) shall be |
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conducted on the same days and during the same hours that voting is |
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required to be conducted at the main early voting polling place |
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under Section 85.005. [The authority establishing the temporary
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branch polling place shall determine the hours during which the
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voting is to be conducted on those days. The authority shall order
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voting to be conducted for the same number of hours that voting is
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required to be conducted on those days at the main early voting
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polling place under Section 85.005 on receipt of a written request
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for those hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the
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county. The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance
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with Section 85.067.] |
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(c) Early voting by personal appearance at a temporary |
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branch polling place other than a temporary branch polling place |
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established under Section 85.062(d) may be conducted on any one or |
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more days [and during any hours] of the period for early voting by |
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personal appearance, as determined by the authority establishing |
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the branch. Voting on those days must be during the same hours that |
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voting is required to be conducted at the main early voting place |
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under Section 85.005. |
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SECTION 5. Section 85.065(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) Voting at a temporary branch polling place may be |
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conducted on any one or more days [and during any hours] of the |
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period for early voting by personal appearance, as determined by |
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the authority establishing the branch. Voting on those days must be |
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during the same hours that voting is required to be conducted at the |
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main early voting place under Section 85.005. The authority |
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authorized under Section 85.006 to order early voting on a Saturday |
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or Sunday may also order, in the manner prescribed by that section, |
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early voting to be conducted on a Saturday or Sunday at any one or |
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more of the temporary branch polling places. |
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SECTION 6. Sections 85.005(b) through (d), Election Code, |
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are repealed. |
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SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an election for which early voting begins on or after September 1, |
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2007. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |