88R1215 TSS-F
 
  By: Bucy H.B. No. 317
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the days and hours during which the polls are open for
  early voting by personal appearance.
         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)  The [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.  Sections 85.001(a) and (e), Election Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The period for early voting by personal appearance
  begins on the 17th day before election day and continues through the
  fourth day before election day, except as otherwise provided by
  this subchapter [section].
         (e)  For an election held on the uniform election date in May
  and any resulting runoff election, 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, except as
  otherwise provided by this subchapter.
         SECTION 3.  Section 85.006, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 85.006.  EXTENDED VOTING [ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY]. (a)
  Except as provided by Subsection (b), the authority ordering an
  election may order early voting by personal appearance at the main
  early voting polling place to be conducted:
               (1)  on one or more Saturdays or Sundays during the
  early voting period; or
               (2)  during an early voting period extended from the
  fourth day before election day for any number of consecutive days up
  to and including the day before election day.
         (b)  In an election in which a county clerk is the early
  voting clerk under Section 83.002, only the early voting clerk may
  order extended voting [on a Saturday or Sunday]. The clerk must do
  so by written order.
         (c)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, the [The]
  authority ordering extended voting [on a Saturday or Sunday] shall
  determine the hours during which voting is to be conducted.
         (d)  The authority authorized to order extended early voting
  [on a Saturday or Sunday] under Subsection (a) or (b) shall order
  [the] voting on a Saturday or Sunday 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.
         (e)  In a primary election or the general election for state
  and county officers in a county with a population of 55,000 or more,
  the early voting clerk shall order voting by personal appearance at
  the main early voting polling place to be conducted on the last
  Saturday of the early voting period for at least 12 hours, except
  that voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than
  10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of the early voting period for at
  least six hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier
  than 9 a.m. or later than 10 p.m. The early voting clerk shall order
  voting to be conducted at those times in those elections in a county
  with a population under 55,000 on receipt of a written request for
  those hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the
  county. The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance
  with Section 85.007. This subsection supersedes any provision of
  this subchapter to the extent of any conflict.
         (f)  An authority authorized to order extended early voting
  under Subsection (a) or (b) that orders the voting during an
  extended early voting period shall order personal appearance voting
  at the main early voting polling place to be conducted for at least
  12 hours on any weekday or Saturday and for at least five hours on
  any Sunday of the extended early voting period.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 85.007(a) and (b), Election Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The election order and the election notice must state:
               (1)  the date that early voting will begin if under
  Section 85.001(d) the early voting period is to begin later than the
  prescribed date;
               (2)  the regular dates and hours that voting will be
  conducted under Section 85.005(b); and
               (3)  the dates and hours that extended voting [on
  Saturday or Sunday] is ordered to be conducted under Section
  85.006(a).
         (b)  The early voting clerk shall post notice for each
  election stating the dates and hours that extended voting [on a
  Saturday or Sunday] is ordered to be conducted under Section
  85.006(b).
         SECTION 5.  Section 85.064(d), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order
  extended early voting [on a Saturday or Sunday] may also order, in
  the manner prescribed by that section, extended 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.  Section 85.065(b), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), voting at a
  temporary branch polling place may be conducted on any days and
  during any hours of the period for early voting by personal
  appearance, as determined by the authority establishing the branch.
  The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order extended
  early voting [on a Saturday or Sunday] may also order, in the manner
  prescribed by that section, extended early voting to be conducted
  [on a Saturday or Sunday] at any one or more of the temporary branch
  polling places.
         SECTION 7.  Section 85.068(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The early voting clerk shall post notice for each
  election stating any dates and the hours that extended voting [on
  Saturday or Sunday] will be conducted under Section 85.064(d) or
  85.065(b), if the early voting clerk is a county clerk or city
  secretary under Section 83.002 or 83.005.
         SECTION 8.  Section 87.0241, Election Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  The board may not count early voting ballots until:
               (1)  the polls open on election day; or
               (2)  in an election conducted by an authority of a
  county with a population of 100,000 or more, or conducted jointly
  with such a county or conducted with such a county through a
  contract for election services, the time the polls close on the
  fourth day before election day [end of the period for early voting
  by personal appearance].
         (b-1)  The board may not count early voting ballots voted by
  personal appearance after the fourth day before election day until
  the end of the extended early voting period.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.