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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the days and hours in which counties of certain sizes |
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conduct early 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 85.005, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) In a county with a population of 10,000 or more, voting |
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[Voting] in a primary election or the general election for state and |
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county officers shall be conducted at the main early voting polling |
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place for at least 12 consecutive hours on each weekday of the last |
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week of the early voting period, and the voting in a special |
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election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at the main |
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early voting polling place for at least 12 consecutive hours on each |
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of the last two days of the early voting period. Voting under this |
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subsection may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 |
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p.m. |
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(c-1) In a county with a population of less than 10,000, |
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voting in a primary election or the general election for state and |
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county officers shall, on receipt of a written request submitted by |
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at least 15 registered voters of the territory covered by the |
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election, be conducted at the main early voting polling place |
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during the hours described by Subsection (c). |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.006, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(e) In a primary election or the general election for state |
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and county officers: |
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(1)[,] the early voting clerk of a county with a |
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population of 10,000 or more shall order voting by personal |
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appearance at the main early voting polling place to be conducted on |
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the last Saturday of the early voting period for at least 12 |
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consecutive hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier |
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than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of the |
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early voting period for at least six consecutive hours, except that |
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voting may not be conducted earlier than 9 a.m. or later than 10 |
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p.m.; and |
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(2) the early voting clerk of a county with a |
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population of less than 10,000 shall order voting by personal |
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appearance at the main early voting polling place to be conducted on |
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either the last Saturday or the last Sunday of the early voting |
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period for at least 12 consecutive hours, except that voting may not |
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be conducted earlier than 9 a.m. or later than 10 p.m., provided |
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that the county chair of each party that made nominations by primary |
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election for the last general election for state and county |
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officers must agree on the day for the voting to be conducted. |
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(f) Subsection (e) [This subsection] supersedes any |
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provision of this subchapter to the extent of any conflict. |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.064, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read as |
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follows: |
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(d) The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order |
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early voting on a Saturday or Sunday may also order, in the manner |
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prescribed by that section, early voting to be conducted on a |
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Saturday or Sunday at any one or more of the temporary branch |
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polling places, if the territory served by the authority is |
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situated in a county with a population of 10,000 or more. In |
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addition, the early voting clerk shall order such voting in |
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accordance with Section 85.006(e) at each temporary branch polling |
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place established under Section 85.062(d). |
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(e) For purposes of Subsection (d), if the territory served |
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by the authority is situated in more than one county, the population |
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of the territory served by the authority is determined using the |
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combined populations of all counties in which the territory is |
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situated. |
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SECTION 4. This Act applies only to an election for which |
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early voting begins on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |