| 1 | 1 | | 88R7233 MLH-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hall S.B. No. 2463 |
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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 procedure for early voting. |
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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 61.002(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (c) Immediately after closing the polls for voting on |
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| 12 | 12 | | election day and on the last day of early voting by personal |
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| 13 | 13 | | appearance, the presiding election judge or alternate election |
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| 14 | 14 | | judge shall print the tape to show the number of votes cast for each |
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| 15 | 15 | | candidate or ballot measure for each voting machine. |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 2. Sections 85.001(a) and (c), Election Code, are |
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| 17 | 17 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a) The period for early voting by personal appearance |
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| 19 | 19 | | begins on the eighth [17th] day before election day and continues |
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| 20 | 20 | | through the [fourth] day before election day, except as otherwise |
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| 21 | 21 | | provided by this section. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) If the date prescribed by Subsection (a) [or (b)] for |
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| 23 | 23 | | beginning the period is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state holiday, |
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| 24 | 24 | | the early voting period begins on the next regular business day. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 3. Section 85.033, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 26 | 26 | | read as follows: |
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| 27 | 27 | | Sec. 85.033. SECURITY OF VOTING MACHINE. (a) At the close |
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| 28 | 28 | | of early voting each day, the early voting clerk shall secure each |
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| 29 | 29 | | voting machine used for early voting in the manner prescribed by the |
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| 30 | 30 | | secretary of state so that its unauthorized operation is prevented. |
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| 31 | 31 | | The clerk shall unsecure the machine before the beginning of early |
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| 32 | 32 | | voting the following day. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) To the extent possible, closing and securing of voting |
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| 34 | 34 | | machines shall be done in the same manner as required by provisions |
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| 35 | 35 | | of this code pertaining to election day. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 4. Sections 85.001(b) and (e), Election Code, are |
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| 37 | 37 | | repealed. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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