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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the conduct of early voting by personal appearance on |
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Saturday. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 85.001(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) For a special runoff election for the office of state |
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senator or state representative or for a runoff primary election, |
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the period begins on the 11th [10th] day before election day. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 85.006(a), (b), and (d), Election Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the authority |
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ordering an election shall [may] order early voting by personal |
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appearance at the main early voting polling place to be conducted on |
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one or more Saturdays [or Sundays] during the early voting period |
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and may order early voting by personal appearance at the main early |
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voting polling place to be conducted on one or more Sundays during |
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the early voting period. |
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(b) In an election in which a county clerk or city secretary |
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is the early voting clerk under Section 83.002 or 83.005, only the |
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early voting clerk may order voting under Subsection (a) [on a
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Saturday or Sunday]. An order by the [The] clerk must be [do so by] |
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written [order]. |
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(d) The authority authorized to order early voting on a |
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[Saturday or] Sunday under this section [Subsection (a) or (b)] |
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shall order the voting on at least one Sunday [under the applicable
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subsection] on receipt of a written request that voting be |
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conducted on a Sunday submitted by at least 15 registered voters of |
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the territory covered by the election if the[. The] request is |
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[must be] submitted in time to enable compliance with Section |
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85.007. The authority is not required to order the voting on a |
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particular date specified by the request but shall order the voting |
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on at least one [Saturday if a Saturday is requested and on at least
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one] Sunday [if a Sunday is requested]. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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election ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former |
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law continues in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |