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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. |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.005, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (c-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), (c-1), or (d), in |
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an 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 be |
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conducted on the weekdays of the early voting period and during the |
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hours that the county clerk's or city secretary's main business |
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office is regularly open for business. |
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(c) In a county with a population of 100,000 or more but less |
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than three million, the voting in a primary election or the general |
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election for state and county officers shall be conducted at the |
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main early voting polling place for at least 12 hours on each |
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weekday of the last week of the early voting period, and the voting |
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in a special election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at |
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the main early voting polling place for at least 12 hours on each of |
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the last two days of the early voting period. Voting shall be |
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conducted in accordance with this subsection in those elections in |
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a county with a population under 100,000 on receipt by the early |
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voting clerk of a written request for the extended hours submitted |
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by at least 15 registered voters of the county. The request must be |
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submitted in time to enable compliance with Section 85.067. |
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(c-1) In a county with a population of three million or |
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more, the voting in a primary election, the general election for |
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state and county officers, or a special election ordered by the |
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governor shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place |
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from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on each weekday of the early voting period. |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.006(e), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(e) In a primary election or the general election for state |
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and county officers in a county with a population of 100,000 or |
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more, the early voting clerk shall order personal appearance voting |
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at the main early voting polling place to be conducted for at least |
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12 hours on the last Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the last |
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Saturday in a county with a population of three million or more, and |
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for at least five hours on the last Sunday of the early voting |
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period. The early voting clerk shall order voting to be conducted |
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at those times in those elections in a county with a population |
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under 100,000 on receipt of a written request for those hours |
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submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the county. The |
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request must be submitted in time to enable compliance with Section |
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85.007. This subsection supersedes any provision of this subchapter |
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to the extent of any conflict. |
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SECTION 4. 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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2011. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |