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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the hours for voting during the early voting period. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 85.005(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
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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 the |
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weekdays of the early voting period and during the hours that the |
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county clerk's or city secretary's main business office is |
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regularly open for business, except that voting may not be |
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conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 9 p.m.[.] |
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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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of the early voting period that is not a legal state holiday unless |
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the territory covered by the election has fewer than 1,000 |
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registered voters. In that case, the voting shall be conducted at |
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least three hours each day. The authority ordering the election, or |
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the county clerk if that person is the early voting clerk, shall |
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determine which hours the voting is to be conducted except that |
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voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 9 |
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p.m.[.] |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.006(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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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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except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later |
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than 9 p.m.[.] |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.010(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A shared polling place established under Subsection (b) |
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that is designated as a main early voting polling place by any |
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political subdivision: |
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(1) must be open for voting for all political |
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subdivisions the polling place serves for at least the days and |
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hours required of a main early voting polling place under Section |
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85.002 for the political subdivision making the designation; and |
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(2) may not be open for voting earlier than 6 a.m. or |
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later than 9 p.m.[.] |
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SECTION 4. Section 85.064, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) Early voting by personal appearance at a temporary |
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branch polling place may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or |
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later than 9 p.m. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |