BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 675

By: Fallon

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerned observers contend that in certain elections the authority calling the election uses multiple mobile voting locations that are in operation only for certain hours and days during the early voting period, which can lead to confusion among voters because of the varied and staggered availability of these polling locations. H.B. 675 seeks to address this issue by creating a more predictable early voting process with respect to temporary branch polling places.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 675 repeals Election Code provisions relating to days and hours for early voting by personal appearance at a temporary branch polling place in a county in which the territory served by the early voting clerk is situated in a county with a population of 100,000 or more or at such a polling place in a county in which the territory served by the early voting clerk is situated in a county with a population under 100,000 that authorize voting to be conducted at such a polling place on any one or more days and during any hours of the period for early voting by personal appearance, as determined by the authority establishing the branch, including early voting by personal appearance on a Saturday or Sunday at any temporary branch polling place under certain conditions.

H.B. 675 amends the Election Code to clarify that early voting by personal appearance at a temporary branch polling place may be conducted on any one or more days and during any hours of the period for early voting by personal appearance, as determined by the authority establishing the branch, and that the appropriate authority may order early voting by personal appearance on a Saturday or Sunday at any temporary branch polling place that is not required to conduct voting on the same days and during the same hours as voting is conducted at the main early voting polling place.

H.B. 675 requires early voting by personal appearance at no less than 80 percent of the temporary branch polling places, in an election in which the authority ordering the election has established at least five temporary branch polling places in the territory served by the early voting clerk, to be conducted on the same days and during the same hours as voting is conducted at the main early voting polling place. The bill establishes that, for purposes of this requirement, a temporary branch polling place does not include a temporary branch polling place established at a church.

H.B. 675 repeals Sections 85.064 and 85.065, Election Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.