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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(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) In a county with a population of 100,000 or more, the |
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voting in a primary election, [or] the general election for state |
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and county officers, or a special election ordered by the governor |
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shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place from 7 |
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a.m. until 7 p.m. [for at least 12 hours] on each weekday [of the
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last week] of the early voting period[, and the voting in a special
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election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at the main
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early voting polling place for at least 12 hours on each of the last
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two days of the early voting period]. Voting shall be conducted in |
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accordance with this subsection in those elections in a county with |
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a population under 100,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a |
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written request for the extended hours submitted by at least 15 |
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registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted in |
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time to enable compliance with Section 85.067. |
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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 from 7 a.m. |
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until 7 p.m. [for at least 12 hours] on the last Saturday and for at |
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least five hours on the last Sunday of the early voting period. The |
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early voting clerk shall order voting to be conducted at those times |
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in those elections in a county with a population under 100,000 on |
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receipt of a written request for those hours submitted by at least |
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15 registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted |
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in time to enable compliance with Section 85.007. This subsection |
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supersedes any provision of this subchapter to the extent of any |
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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. |