| 1 | 1 | | 87R6418 MLH-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Reynolds H.B. No. 2082 |
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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 polling places in a precinct. |
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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. Section 43.001, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 43.001. NUMBER OF [ONE] POLLING PLACES [PLACE] IN EACH |
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| 12 | 12 | | PRECINCT. (a) Except as provided by this section, each [Each] |
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| 13 | 13 | | election precinct established for an election shall be served by a |
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| 14 | 14 | | single polling place located within the boundary of the precinct. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) In a county with a population of more than 500,000, each |
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| 16 | 16 | | election precinct established for an election may be served by more |
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| 17 | 17 | | than one polling place if: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) each polling place is located within the boundary |
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| 19 | 19 | | of the precinct; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) consideration is given to population density in |
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| 21 | 21 | | selecting the location of each polling place, so that each polling |
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| 22 | 22 | | place serves approximately the same number of voters. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Sections 43.002(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
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| 24 | 24 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) For a general or special election in which the use of |
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| 26 | 26 | | county election precincts is required, the county clerk shall |
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| 27 | 27 | | recommend the location of the polling place or places for each |
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| 28 | 28 | | county election precinct, except as provided by Subsection (b). |
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| 29 | 29 | | The commissioners court shall designate the recommended location as |
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| 30 | 30 | | a [the] polling place unless the court finds good cause to reject |
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| 31 | 31 | | the recommendation. In that case, the commissioners court shall |
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| 32 | 32 | | designate another location. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) If county election precincts are consolidated, the |
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| 34 | 34 | | commissioners court shall designate the location of the polling |
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| 35 | 35 | | place or places for the consolidated precinct. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. Section 43.003, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 37 | 37 | | read as follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | Sec. 43.003. DESIGNATION OF LOCATION: PRIMARY ELECTION. |
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| 39 | 39 | | The county chair of a political party holding a primary election |
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| 40 | 40 | | shall designate the location of the polling place or places for each |
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| 41 | 41 | | election precinct in the primary unless the precinct is one that is |
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| 42 | 42 | | consolidated. In that case, the county executive committee shall |
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| 43 | 43 | | designate the location or locations. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 4. Section 43.004(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 45 | 45 | | read as follows: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (a) The governing body of each political subdivision |
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| 47 | 47 | | authorized to hold elections, other than a county, shall designate |
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| 48 | 48 | | the location of the polling place or places for each of its election |
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| 49 | 49 | | precincts. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 5. Section 43.005, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 51 | 51 | | read as follows: |
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| 52 | 52 | | Sec. 43.005. DESIGNATION OF LOCATION: CERTAIN SPECIAL |
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| 53 | 53 | | ELECTIONS. The authority establishing election precincts under |
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| 54 | 54 | | Section 42.062 shall designate the location of the polling place or |
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| 55 | 55 | | places for each precinct. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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