BILL ANALYSIS
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, many counties hold local elections at the same time as general elections. The uniformity in the date and location help ensure voters are not confused as to where to vote. Separate voting locations confuse voters and decreases turnout. H.B. 506 rectifies this situation by ensuring that the two elections are held in the same polling location. H.B. 506 requires at least one polling location for early voting in elections where voting jurisdictions overlap. This legislation only applies to early voting in November.
H.B. 506 amends current law relating to the location of early voting polling places for elections held on the November uniform election date by a political subdivision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 85, Election Code, by adding Section 85.010, as follows:
Sec. 85.010. EARLY VOTING POLLING PLACES FOR CERTAIN ELECTIONS HELD BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. (a) Provides that this section applies to an election held by a political subdivision, other than a county, on the November uniform election date in which the political subdivision is not holding a joint election with a county in accordance with Chapter 271 (Joint Elections), and has not executed a contract with a county elections officer under which the political subdivision and the county share early voting polling places for the election.
(b) Requires a political subdivision that holds an election described by Subsection (a) to:
(1) designate as the early voting polling places for the election any early voting polling place, other than a polling place established under Section 85.062(e) (relating to authorizing a temporary branch polling place that is movable to be established only with the approval of the county clerk and entitles certain political parties to establish such polling places), established by the county and located in a county election precinct that contains territory from the political subdivision; or
(2) notwithstanding Section 85.002 (Main Early Voting Polling Place), designate another early voting polling place, other than a polling place established under Section 85.062(e), established by the county as an early voting polling place if the county does not establish an early voting polling place within the territory of the political subdivision.
(c) Authorizes a political subdivision that holds an election described by Subsection (a) to establish an early voting polling place located in the territory of the political subdivision if one is not otherwise located in that area under this section.
(d) Requires that a shared polling place established under Subsection (b) that is designated as a main early voting polling place by any political subdivision be open for voting for all political subdivisions the polling place serves for at least the days and hours required of a main early voting polling place under Section 85.002 for the political subdivision making the designation.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.