Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1858 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R1949 MLH-D
2	2	By: Cole H.B. No. 1858
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the days and hours during which the polls are open for
10	10	early voting by personal appearance.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 12.004(d), Election Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	(d) The [If early voting by personal appearance is required
15	15	to be conducted for extended hours under Section 85.005(c) or for
16	16	weekend hours under Section 85.006(e), the] registrar's office
17	17	shall remain open for providing voter registration information
18	18	during the [extended hours or weekend] hours that the main early
19	19	voting polling place is open for voting.
20	20	SECTION 2. Sections 85.001(a) and (e), Election Code, are
21	21	amended to read as follows:
22	22	(a) The period for early voting by personal appearance
23	23	begins on the 17th day before election day and continues through the
24	24	fourth day before election day, except as otherwise provided by
25	25	this subchapter [section].
26	26	(e) For an election held on the uniform election date in May
27	27	and any resulting runoff election, the period for early voting by
28	28	personal appearance begins on the 12th day before election day and
29	29	continues through the fourth day before election day, except as
30	30	otherwise provided by this subchapter.
31	31	SECTION 3. Section 85.006, Election Code, is amended to
32	32	read as follows:
33	33	Sec. 85.006. EXTENDED VOTING [ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY]. (a)
34	34	Except as provided by Subsection (b), the authority ordering an
35	35	election may order early voting by personal appearance at the main
36	36	early voting polling place to be conducted:
37	37	(1) on one or more Saturdays or Sundays during the
38	38	early voting period; or
39	39	(2) during an extended early voting period continuing
40	40	for any number of consecutive days up to and including the day
41	41	before election day.
42	42	(b) In an election in which a county clerk is the early
43	43	voting clerk under Section 83.002, only the early voting clerk may
44	44	order extended voting [on a Saturday or Sunday]. The clerk must do
45	45	so by written order.
46	46	(c) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the [The]
47	47	authority ordering extended voting [on a Saturday or Sunday] shall
48	48	determine the hours during which voting is to be conducted.
49	49	(d) The authority authorized to order extended early voting
50	50	[on a Saturday or Sunday] under Subsection (a) or (b) shall order
51	51	[the] voting on a Saturday or Sunday under the applicable
52	52	subsection on receipt of a written request submitted by at least 15
53	53	registered voters of the territory covered by the election. The
54	54	request must be submitted in time to enable compliance with Section
55	55	85.007. The authority is not required to order the voting on a
56	56	particular date specified by the request but shall order the voting
57	57	on at least one Saturday if a Saturday is requested and on at least
58	58	one Sunday if a Sunday is requested.
59	59	(e) In a primary election or the general election for state
60	60	and county officers, the early voting clerk shall order voting by
61	61	personal appearance at the main early voting polling place to be
62	62	conducted on the last Saturday of the early voting period for at
63	63	least 12 consecutive hours, except that voting may not be conducted
64	64	earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of
65	65	the early voting period for at least six consecutive hours, except
66	66	that voting may not be conducted earlier than 9 a.m. or later than
67	67	10 p.m. This subsection supersedes any provision of this
68	68	subchapter to the extent of any conflict.
69	69	(f) An authority authorized to order extended early voting
70	70	under Subsection (a) or (b) that orders the voting during an
71	71	extended early voting period shall order personal appearance voting
72	72	at the main early voting polling place to be conducted for at least
73	73	12 hours on any weekday or Saturday and for at least five hours on
74	74	any Sunday of the extended early voting period.
75	75	SECTION 4. Sections 85.007(a) and (b), Election Code, are
76	76	amended to read as follows:
77	77	(a) The election order and the election notice must state:
78	78	(1) the date that early voting will begin if under
79	79	Section 85.001(d) the early voting period is to begin later than the
80	80	prescribed date;
81	81	(2) the regular dates and hours that voting will be
82	82	conducted under Section 85.005(b); and
83	83	(3) the dates and hours that extended voting [on
84	84	Saturday or Sunday] is ordered to be conducted under Section
85	85	85.006(a).
86	86	(b) The early voting clerk shall post notice for each
87	87	election stating the dates and hours that extended voting [on a
88	88	Saturday or Sunday] is ordered to be conducted under Section
89	89	85.006(b).
90	90	SECTION 5. Section 85.064(d), Election Code, is amended to
91	91	read as follows:
92	92	(d) The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order
93	93	extended early voting [on a Saturday or Sunday] may also order, in
94	94	the manner prescribed by that section, extended early voting to be
95	95	conducted [on a Saturday or Sunday] at any one or more of the
96	96	temporary branch polling places. In addition, the early voting
97	97	clerk shall order such voting in accordance with Section 85.006(e)
98	98	at each temporary branch polling place established under Section
99	99	85.062(d).
100	100	SECTION 6. Section 85.068(a), Election Code, is amended to
101	101	read as follows:
102	102	(a) The early voting clerk shall post notice for each
103	103	election stating any dates and the hours that extended voting [on
104	104	Saturday or Sunday] will be conducted under Section 85.064(d), if
105	105	the early voting clerk is a county clerk or city secretary under
106	106	Section 83.002 or 83.005.
107	107	SECTION 7. Section 87.1231, Election Code, is amended to
108	108	read as follows:
109	109	Sec. 87.1231. EARLY VOTING VOTES REPORTED BY PRECINCT. (a)
110	110	Not later than the time of the local canvass, the early voting clerk
111	111	shall deliver to the local canvassing authority a report of the
112	112	total number of early voting votes cast during the period specified
113	113	under Section 85.001(a) for each candidate or measure by election
114	114	precinct. The report may reflect the total for votes by mail and
115	115	the total for votes by personal appearance.
116	116	(b) A county may include votes cast during an extended early
117	117	voting period established under Section 85.006 in the report under
118	118	Subsection (a).
119	119	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.