| 1 | 1 | | 85R9496 ADM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Fallon H.B. No. 1683 |
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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 early voting period. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Sections 85.001(a) and (c), Election Code, are |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (a) The period for early voting by personal appearance |
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| 12 | 12 | | begins on the 10th [17th] day before election day and continues |
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| 13 | 13 | | through the fourth day before election day, except as otherwise |
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| 14 | 14 | | provided by this section. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (c) If the date prescribed by Subsection (a) [or (b)] for |
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| 16 | 16 | | beginning the period is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state holiday, |
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| 17 | 17 | | the early voting period begins on the next regular business day. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Section 85.005(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 19 | 19 | | read as follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (d) In an election ordered by a city, early voting by |
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| 21 | 21 | | personal appearance at the main early voting polling place shall be |
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| 22 | 22 | | conducted for at least 12 hours[: |
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| 23 | 23 | | [(1)] on one weekday[, if the early voting period |
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| 24 | 24 | | consists of less than six weekdays; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | [(2) on two weekdays, if the early voting period |
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| 26 | 26 | | consists of six or more weekdays]. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 3. Sections 85.006(a), (d), and (e), Election Code, |
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| 28 | 28 | | are amended to read as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | ordering an election may order early voting by personal appearance |
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| 31 | 31 | | at the main early voting polling place to be conducted on a Saturday |
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| 32 | 32 | | or Sunday [one or more Saturdays or Sundays] during the early voting |
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| 33 | 33 | | period. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) The authority authorized to order early voting on a |
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| 35 | 35 | | Saturday or Sunday under Subsection (a) or (b) shall order the |
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| 36 | 36 | | voting under the applicable subsection on receipt of a written |
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| 37 | 37 | | request submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the territory |
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| 38 | 38 | | covered by the election. The request must be submitted in time to |
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| 39 | 39 | | enable compliance with Section 85.007. The authority [is not |
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| 40 | 40 | | required to order the voting on a particular date specified by the |
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| 41 | 41 | | request but] shall order the voting on [at least one] Saturday if |
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| 42 | 42 | | [a] Saturday is requested and on [at least one] Sunday if [a] Sunday |
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| 43 | 43 | | is requested. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (e) In a primary election or the general election for state |
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| 45 | 45 | | and county officers in a county with a population of 100,000 or |
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| 46 | 46 | | more, the early voting clerk shall order personal appearance voting |
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| 47 | 47 | | at the main early voting polling place to be conducted for at least |
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| 48 | 48 | | 12 hours on [the last] Saturday and for at least five hours on [the |
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| 49 | 49 | | last] Sunday during [of] the early voting period. The early voting |
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| 50 | 50 | | clerk shall order voting to be conducted at those times in those |
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| 51 | 51 | | elections in a county with a population under 100,000 on receipt of |
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| 52 | 52 | | a written request for those hours submitted by at least 15 |
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| 53 | 53 | | registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted in |
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| 54 | 54 | | time to enable compliance with Section 85.007. This subsection |
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| 55 | 55 | | supersedes any provision of this subchapter to the extent of any |
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| 56 | 56 | | conflict. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 4. Sections 85.001(b) and (e), Election Code, are |
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| 58 | 58 | | repealed. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2018. |
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