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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a program allowing for countywide voting centers as an |
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alternative election system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 43, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 43.007 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 43.007. COUNTYWIDE VOTING CENTERS. (a) A county may |
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conduct its elections under this section as an alternative to the |
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general election provisions of this chapter. |
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(b) The secretary of state shall establish rules for |
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counties to allow a commissioners court to eliminate county |
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election precincts and establish countywide voting centers for: |
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(1) each general election for state and county |
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officers; |
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(2) each countywide election held on the uniform |
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election date in May; and |
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(3) each election of a political subdivision located |
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in the county that is held jointly with an election described by |
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Subdivision (1) or (2). |
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(c) The commissioners court of a county that desires to use |
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countywide voting centers as an alternative election system shall |
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hold a public hearing on the proposed election system change. The |
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county shall make a reasonable effort to provide notice of the |
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hearing to other political subdivisions within the jurisdiction of |
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the county. A county that has previously used countywide voting |
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centers as an alternative election system is not required to hold a |
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hearing under this subsection. |
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(d) At the request of the commissioners court, the secretary |
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of state may provide for an audit of the direct recording electronic |
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voting units before and after the election, and during the election |
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to the extent such an audit is practicable. |
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(e) The secretary of state by rule shall require a county |
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that desires to use the alternative election system to: |
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(1) implement a computerized voter registration list |
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that allows an election officer at the voting center to verify that |
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a voter has not previously voted in the election; |
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(2) use direct recording electronic voting machines or |
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other state-certified voting equipment that has the appropriate |
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capabilities to permit the use of countywide voting centers; and |
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(3) document that the county possesses the appropriate |
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technological capabilities as determined by the secretary of state. |
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(f) Each countywide voting center must allow a voter to vote |
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in the same elections in which the voter would be entitled to vote |
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in the county election precinct in which the voter resides. |
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(g) In selecting countywide voting centers, a county must |
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adopt a methodology for determining where each voting center will |
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be located. The total number of countywide voting centers may not |
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be less than 50 percent of the number of precinct polling places |
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that would otherwise be located in the county under this chapter. |
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(h) A county opting to use this alternative election system |
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for the first time must establish a plan to provide notice informing |
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voters of the changes made to the locations of polling places under |
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the program. The plan must require that notice of the location of |
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the nearest countywide voting center be posted on election day at |
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each polling place used in the previous general election for state |
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and county officers that is not used as a countywide voting center. |
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(i) In creating the plan under Subsection (h), the county |
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may solicit input from organizations located within the county who |
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represent minority voters. |
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SECTION 2. Section 32.002, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: |
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(g) If election precincts are replaced with countywide |
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voting centers under the alternative election system permitted by |
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Section 43.007, the commissioners court shall make a reasonable |
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effort to appoint the election judges for each voting center from |
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among the judges appointed for the precincts located in the area |
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served by the voting center. |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.001, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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(f) A county that implements countywide voting centers |
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under Section 43.007 may extend the early voting period so that the |
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period for early voting by personal appearance begins on the 17th |
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day before election day and continues through the day before |
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election day. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |