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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 85.006(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 and for at least five hours and until |
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7 p.m. on the last Sunday of the early voting period. The early |
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voting clerk shall order voting to be conducted [at those times] in |
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those elections at the main early voting polling place for at least |
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12 hours on the last Saturday and for at least five hours and until |
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7 p.m. on the last Sunday of the early voting period in a county |
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with a population under 100,000 on receipt of a written request for |
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those hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the |
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county. The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance |
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with Section 85.007. This subsection supersedes any provision of |
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this subchapter to the extent of any conflict. |
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SECTION 3. 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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2013. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |