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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to extension of voting hours for early voting by personal |
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appearance. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. 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 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 of the last week of the |
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early voting period, and the voting in a special election ordered by |
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the governor shall be conducted at the main early voting polling |
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place for at least 12 hours on each of the last two days of the early |
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voting period. Voting shall be conducted in accordance with this |
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subsection in those elections in a county with a population under |
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100,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a written request |
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for the extended hours submitted by at least 50 [15] registered |
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voters of the county. The request must be submitted in time to |
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enable compliance with Section 85.067. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 85.006(d) and (e), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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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 not |
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required to order the voting on a particular date specified by the |
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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 last |
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Sunday of the early voting period. [The early voting clerk shall
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order voting to be conducted at those times in those elections in a
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county with a population under 100,000 on receipt of a written
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request for those hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters
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of the county. The request must be submitted in time to enable
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compliance with Section 85.007.] This subsection supersedes any |
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provision of this subchapter to the extent of any conflict. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |