Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1573 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R3936 SGM-F
2	2	By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 1573
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the use of a movable structure as a polling place in a
8	8	county participating in the countywide polling place program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 43.007, Election Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subsection (q) to read as follows:
12	12	(q) A movable structure may be designated for use as a
13	13	polling place by the commissioner's court of a county that
14	14	participates in the program.
15	15	SECTION 2. Sections 43.031(b) and (c), Election Code, are
16	16	amended to read as follows:
17	17	(b) Except as otherwise provided by this code, each [Each]
18	18	polling place shall be located inside a building.
19	19	(c) A [The] building selected for use as a polling place
20	20	shall be a public building if practicable. The entity that owns or
21	21	controls a public building shall make the building available for
22	22	use as a polling place in any election that covers territory in
23	23	which the building is located. If more than one authority requests
24	24	the use of the building for the same day and simultaneous use is
25	25	impracticable, the entity that owns or controls the building shall
26	26	determine which authority may use the building.
27	27	SECTION 3. Section 61.003(a), Election Code, is amended to
28	28	read as follows:
29	29	(a) A person commits an offense if, during the voting period
30	30	and within 100 feet of an entrance to [outside door through which a
31	31	voter may enter] the building or structure in which a polling place
32	32	is located, the person:
33	33	(1) loiters; or
34	34	(2) electioneers for or against any candidate,
35	35	measure, or political party.
36	36	SECTION 4. Section 61.007(c), Election Code, is amended to
37	37	read as follows:
38	38	(c) Beginning at 9:30 a.m. and at each subsequent two-hour
39	39	interval through 5:30 p.m., the presiding judge shall post written
40	40	notice of the total number of voters who have voted in the precinct.
41	41	The notice shall be posted [at an] outside [door through which a
42	42	voter may enter the building in which] the polling place [is
43	43	located].
44	44	SECTION 5. Section 62.004, Election Code, is amended to
45	45	read as follows:
46	46	Sec. 62.004. ARRANGING VOTING STATIONS. The voting
47	47	stations shall be arranged so that:
48	48	(1) the voting area is in view of the election
49	49	officers, watchers, and persons waiting to vote but is separated
50	50	from the persons waiting to vote;
51	51	(2) unauthorized access to the voting area [through
52	52	any entrance other than one designated by the presiding judge] is
53	53	prevented; and
54	54	(3) the voting area is adequately lighted.
55	55	SECTION 6. Section 64.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
56	56	read as follows:
57	57	(a) After a voter is accepted for voting, the voter shall
58	58	select a ballot[, go to a voting station,] and then prepare the
59	59	ballot at a voting station.
60	60	SECTION 7. Section 85.036(a), Election Code, is amended to
61	61	read as follows:
62	62	(a) During the time an early voting polling place is open
63	63	for the conduct of early voting, a person may not electioneer for or
64	64	against any candidate, measure, or political party in or within 100
65	65	feet of an entrance to [outside door through which a voter may
66	66	enter] the building or structure in which the early voting polling
67	67	place is located.
68	68	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.