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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the early voting period for the general primary and |
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general elections for state and county officers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 85.001(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The period for early voting by personal appearance |
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begins on the 10th [17th] day before election day and continues |
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through the fourth day before election day, except as otherwise |
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provided by this section. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 85.005(a), (b), and (c), Election Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), in an election in |
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which a county clerk or city secretary is the early voting clerk |
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under Section 83.002 or 83.005, early voting by personal appearance |
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at the main early voting polling place shall be conducted on each |
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weekday and Saturday [the weekdays] of the early voting period and |
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during the hours that the county clerk's or city secretary's main |
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business office is regularly open for business. |
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(b) In an election to which Subsection (a) does not apply, |
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early voting by personal appearance at the main early voting |
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polling place shall be conducted at least eight hours each weekday |
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and Saturday of the early voting period that is not a legal state |
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holiday unless the territory covered by the election has fewer than |
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1,000 registered voters. In that case, the voting shall be |
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conducted at least three hours each day. The authority ordering the |
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election, or the county clerk if that person is the early voting |
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clerk, shall determine which hours the voting is to be conducted. |
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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 and |
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county officers shall be conducted at the main early voting polling |
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place for at least 12 hours on each weekday and Saturday [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 50 [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, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 85.006. VOTING ON [SATURDAY OR] SUNDAY. (a) Except as |
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provided by Subsection (b), the authority ordering an election may |
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order early voting by personal appearance at the main early voting |
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polling place to be conducted on Sunday [one or more Saturdays or
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Sundays] during 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 on a [Saturday or] Sunday. The |
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clerk must do so by written order. |
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(c) The authority ordering voting on a [Saturday or] Sunday |
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shall determine the hours during which voting is to be conducted. |
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(d) The authority authorized to order early voting on a |
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[Saturday or] Sunday under Subsection (a) or (b) shall order the |
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voting under the applicable subsection on receipt of a written |
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request submitted by at least 50 [15] registered voters of the |
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territory covered by the election. The request must be submitted in |
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time to enable compliance with Section 85.007. [The authority is
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not required to order the voting on a particular date specified by
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the request but shall order the voting on at least one Saturday if a
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Saturday is requested and on at least one Sunday if a Sunday is
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requested.] |
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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 and for at least] five hours on the |
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[last] Sunday during [of] the early voting period. The early voting |
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clerk shall order voting to be conducted at those times in those |
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elections in a county with a population under 100,000 on receipt of |
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a written request for those hours submitted by at least 50 [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 85.007. 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. Sections 85.007(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The election order and the election notice must state: |
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(1) the date that early voting will begin if under |
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Section 85.001(d) the early voting period is to begin later than the |
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prescribed date; |
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(2) the regular dates and hours that voting will be |
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conducted under Section 85.005(b); and |
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(3) the dates and hours that voting on [Saturday or] |
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Sunday is ordered to be conducted under Section 85.006(a). |
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(b) The early voting clerk shall post notice for each |
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election stating the dates and hours that voting on a [Saturday or] |
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Sunday is ordered to be conducted under Section 85.006(b). |
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SECTION 5. Sections 85.001(b) and (c), Election Code, are |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |