87R10975 MLH-F

By: Bettencourt, et al. S.B. No. 1115

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the time in which early voting is conducted.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 12.004(d), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) If early voting by personal appearance is required to be conducted for extended hours under Section 85.005(c) or for weekend hours under Section 85.006[(e)], the registrar's office shall remain open for providing voter registration information during the extended hours or weekend hours that the main early voting polling place is open for voting.

SECTION 2. Section 85.001(e), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) For an election held on the uniform election date in May, or for [and] any [resulting] runoff election resulting from an election held on a uniform election date, the period for early voting by personal appearance begins on the 12th day before election day and continues through the fourth day before election day.

SECTION 3. Section 85.005(c), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) The [In a county with a population of 100,000 or more, the] voting in a primary election or the general election for state and county officers shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place for [at least] 12 hours on each weekday of the last week of the early voting period, and the voting in a special election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place for [at least] 12 hours on each of the last two days of the early voting period. Unless ordered by a court, voting time shall be not more than 12 hours in one day [Voting shall be conducted in accordance with this subsection in those elections in a county with a population under 100,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a written request for the extended hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance with Section 85.067].

SECTION 4. Section 85.006(b) and (d), Election Code, are amended to read as follows:

(b) In an election in which a county clerk or city secretary is the early voting clerk under Section 83.002 or 83.005, the hours for voting shall be as follows:

(1) on any weekday of the first week of the early voting period, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.;

(2) on a Saturday during the early voting period, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.;

(3) on a Sunday during the early voting period, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.; and

(4) on any weekday of the last week of the early voting period, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. [only the early voting clerk may order voting on a Saturday or Sunday. The clerk must do so by written order.]

(d) The authority authorized to order early voting on a Saturday or Sunday under Subsection (a) [or (b)] shall order the voting under the applicable subsection on receipt of a written request submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the territory covered by the election. The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance with Section 85.007. The authority is not required to order the voting on a particular date specified by the request but shall order the voting on at least one Saturday if a Saturday is requested and on at least one Sunday if a Sunday is requested.

SECTION 5. Section 85.064(d), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order early voting on a Saturday or Sunday may also order, in the manner prescribed by that section, early voting to be conducted on a Saturday or Sunday at any one or more of the temporary branch polling places. [In addition, the early voting clerk of a county covered by Section 85.006(e) shall order such voting in accordance with that subsection at each temporary branch polling place established under Section 85.062(d).]

SECTION 6. Sections 85.006(c) and (e), Election Code, are repealed.

SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.