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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the administration of and procedures relating to early |
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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 19.004(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (d), state funds |
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disbursed under this chapter may be used only to: |
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(1) defray expenses of the registrar's office in |
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connection with voter registration, including additional expenses |
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related to: |
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(A) implementation of the National Voter |
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Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Section 20501 et seq.); |
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(B) complying with weekly updating requirements; |
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and |
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(C) the employment of temporary voter |
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registration personnel for not more than 39 weeks in a state fiscal |
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year; and |
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(2) if the registrar's county has a population of less |
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than 10,000 [55,000], defray the cost to the registrar's county of |
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keeping the polling places in the county open during the early |
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voting period as required under Section [Sections 85.005(c),] |
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85.006(e)[, and 85.064(d)]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 85.005(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) In a county with a population of 10,000 or more, the |
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voting [Voting] in a primary election or the general election for |
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state and county officers shall be conducted at the main early |
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voting polling place for at least 12 consecutive hours on each |
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weekday of the last week of the early voting period, and the voting |
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in a special election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at |
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the main early voting polling place for at least 12 consecutive |
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hours on each of the last two days of the early voting period. |
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Voting under this subsection may not be conducted earlier than 6 |
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a.m. or later than 10 p.m. |
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SECTION 3. Section 85.006(e), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(e) In a primary election or the general election for state |
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and county officers in a county with a population of 10,000 or more, |
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the early voting clerk shall order voting by personal appearance at |
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the main early voting polling place to be conducted on the last |
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Saturday of the early voting period for at least 12 consecutive |
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hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. |
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or later than 10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of the early voting |
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period for at least six consecutive hours, except that voting may |
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not be conducted earlier than 9 a.m. or later than 10 p.m. The early |
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voting clerk shall order voting to be conducted at those times in |
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those elections for those hours on a single weekend day in a county |
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with a population under 10,000. The day of extended voting hours |
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must be agreed to by party chairs and posted publicly in compliance |
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with Section 85.007. This subsection supersedes any provision of |
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this subchapter to the extent of any conflict. |
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SECTION 4. Section 85.064, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) Subsection (d) applies only to an election in which the |
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territory served by the early voting clerk is situated in a county |
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with a population of 10,000 or more. In an election in which the |
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territory served by the clerk is situated in more than one county, |
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this section applies if the sum of the populations of the counties |
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is 10,000 or more. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an election for which early voting begins on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |