| 1 | 1 | | 81R2920 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ortiz, Jr. H.B. No. 512 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the hours during which the polls are open for early |
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| 8 | 8 | | voting by personal appearance. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 12.004(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (d) The [If early voting by personal appearance is required |
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| 13 | 13 | | to be conducted for extended hours under Section 85.005(c) or for |
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| 14 | 14 | | weekend hours under Section 85.006(e), the] registrar's office |
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| 15 | 15 | | shall remain open for providing voter registration information |
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| 16 | 16 | | during the [extended hours or weekend] hours that the main early |
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| 17 | 17 | | voting polling place is open for voting. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Section 85.005(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 19 | 19 | | read as follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) In a county with a population of 100,000 or more, the |
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| 21 | 21 | | voting in a primary election, [or] the general election for state |
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| 22 | 22 | | and county officers, or a special election ordered by the governor |
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| 23 | 23 | | shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place from 7 |
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| 24 | 24 | | a.m. until 7 p.m. [for at least 12 hours] on each weekday [of the |
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| 25 | 25 | | last week] of the early voting period[, and the voting in a special |
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| 26 | 26 | | election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at the main |
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| 27 | 27 | | early voting polling place for at least 12 hours on each of the last |
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| 28 | 28 | | two days of the early voting period]. Voting shall be conducted in |
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| 29 | 29 | | accordance with this subsection in those elections in a county with |
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| 30 | 30 | | a population under 100,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a |
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| 31 | 31 | | written request for the extended hours submitted by at least 15 |
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| 32 | 32 | | registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted in |
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| 33 | 33 | | time to enable compliance with Section 85.067. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 3. Section 85.006(e), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 35 | 35 | | read as follows: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (e) In a primary election or the general election for state |
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| 37 | 37 | | and county officers in a county with a population of 100,000 or |
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| 38 | 38 | | more, the early voting clerk shall order personal appearance voting |
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| 39 | 39 | | at the main early voting polling place to be conducted from 7 a.m. |
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| 40 | 40 | | until 7 p.m. [for at least 12 hours] on the last Saturday and for at |
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| 41 | 41 | | least five hours on the last Sunday of the early voting period. The |
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| 42 | 42 | | early voting clerk shall order voting to be conducted at those times |
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| 43 | 43 | | in those elections in a county with a population under 100,000 on |
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| 44 | 44 | | receipt of a written request for those hours submitted by at least |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15 registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted |
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| 46 | 46 | | in time to enable compliance with Section 85.007. This subsection |
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| 47 | 47 | | supersedes any provision of this subchapter to the extent of any |
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| 48 | 48 | | conflict. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 50 | 50 | | an election for which early voting begins on or after September 1, |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2009. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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