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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the number of polling places in certain counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 43.007, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (m) and adding Subsection (m-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(m) In adopting a methodology under Subsection (f), the |
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county must ensure that: |
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(1) each county commissioners precinct contains at |
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least one countywide polling place; [and] |
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(2) the total number of polling places open for voting |
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in a county commissioners precinct does not exceed more than twice |
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the number of polling places in another county commissioners |
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precinct; and |
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(3) in a county with a population of more than 1 |
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million, the number of polling places within the boundary of a state |
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representative district may not differ from the number of polling |
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places within the boundary of another state representative district |
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in the county by more than one. |
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(m-1) For purposes of Subsection (m)(3), a state |
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representative district located in more than one county shall have |
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a number of polling places required by that subdivision reduced in |
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proportion to the number of qualified voters from that state |
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representative district who reside in the county, as determined by |
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the secretary of state. |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.062, 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) In a primary election, the general election for state |
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and county officers, or a special election to fill a vacancy in the |
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legislature or in congress: |
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(1) the commissioners court of a county with a |
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population of 1 million [400,000] or more shall establish one or |
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more early voting polling places other than the main early voting |
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polling place in each state representative district containing |
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territory covered by the election, except that: |
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(A) the polling place or places shall be |
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established in the state senatorial or congressional district, as |
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applicable, in a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of |
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state senator or United States representative; and |
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(B) the number of early voting polling places |
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within the boundary of a state representative district may not |
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differ from the number of early voting polling places within the |
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boundary of another state representative district in the county by |
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more than one; |
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(2) the commissioners court of a county with a |
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population of 120,000 or more but less than 1 million [400,000] |
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shall establish one or more early voting polling places other than |
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the main early voting polling place in each commissioners precinct |
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containing territory covered by the election; and |
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(3) the early voting clerk of a county with a |
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population of 100,000 or more but less than 120,000 shall establish |
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one or more early voting polling places as described by Subdivision |
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(2) in each precinct for which the early voting clerk receives in |
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time to enable compliance with Section 85.067 a written request for |
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that action submitted by at least 15 registered voters of that |
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precinct. |
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(e) For purposes of Subsection (d)(1)(B), a state |
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representative district located in more than one county shall have |
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a number of polling places required by that paragraph reduced in |
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proportion to the number of qualified voters from that state |
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representative district who reside in the county, as determined by |
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the secretary of state. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |