Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4246 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R13378 JDK-D
2	2	By: Reynolds H.B. No. 4246
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to authorizing counties to conduct elections using
10	10	countywide polling.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Sections 31.014(a) and (c), Election Code, are
13	13	amended to read as follows:
14	14	(a) The secretary of state shall prescribe specific
15	15	requirements and standards, consistent with this code, for the
16	16	certification of an electronic device used to accept voters under
17	17	Chapter 63 that require the device to:
18	18	(1) produce an electronic copy of the list of voters
19	19	who were accepted to vote for delivery to the election judge after
20	20	the polls close;
21	21	(2) display the voter's original signature in
22	22	accordance with Section 63.002;
23	23	(3) accept a voter for voting even when the device is
24	24	off-line;
25	25	(4) provide the full list of voters registered in the
26	26	county with an indication of the jurisdictional or distinguishing
27	27	number for each territorial unit in which each voter resides;
28	28	(5) time-stamp when each voter is accepted at a
29	29	polling place, including the voter's unique identifier;
30	30	(6) if the county establishes [participates in the]
31	31	countywide polling places [place program] under Section 43.007 or
32	32	has more than one early voting polling place, transmit a time stamp
33	33	when each voter is accepted, including the voter's unique
34	34	identifier, to all polling place locations;
35	35	(7) time-stamp the receipt of a transmission under
36	36	Subdivision (6); and
37	37	(8) produce in an electronic format compatible with
38	38	the statewide voter registration list under Section 18.061 data for
39	39	retention and transfer that includes:
40	40	(A) the polling location in which the device was
41	41	used;
42	42	(B) the dated time stamp under Subdivision (5);
43	43	and
44	44	(C) the dated time stamp under Subdivision (7).
45	45	(c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules that require a
46	46	device described by this section used during the early voting
47	47	period or in a county that establishes [under the] countywide
48	48	polling places [place program] under Section 43.007 to update data
49	49	in real time. If a county uses a device that does not comply with
50	50	the rule in two consecutive general elections for state and county
51	51	officers, the secretary of state shall assess a noncompliance fee.
52	52	The noncompliance fee shall be set at an amount determined by
53	53	secretary of state rule.
54	54	SECTION 2. Section 42.0051(a), Election Code, is amended to
55	55	read as follows:
56	56	(a) This section applies only to a county with a population
57	57	of less than 1.2 million that does not establish [participate in
58	58	the] countywide polling places [place program] described by Section
59	59	43.007.
60	60	SECTION 3. The heading to Section 43.007, Election Code, is
61	61	amended to read as follows:
62	62	Sec. 43.007. COUNTYWIDE POLLING PLACES [PLACE PROGRAM].
63	63	SECTION 4. Sections 43.007(a), (f), and (g), Election Code,
64	64	are amended to read as follows:
65	65	(a) Each [The secretary of state shall implement a program
66	66	to allow each] commissioners court may [participating in the
67	67	program to] eliminate county election precinct polling places and
68	68	establish countywide polling places for:
69	69	(1) any election required to be conducted by the
70	70	county;
71	71	(2) any election held as part of a joint election
72	72	agreement with a county under Chapter 271;
73	73	(3) any election held under contract for election
74	74	services with a county under Subchapter D, Chapter 31;
75	75	(4) each primary election and runoff primary election
76	76	if:
77	77	(A) the county chair or county executive
78	78	committee of each political party participating in a joint primary
79	79	election under Section 172.126 agrees to the use of countywide
80	80	polling places; or
81	81	(B) the county chair or county executive
82	82	committee of each political party required to nominate candidates
83	83	by primary election agrees to use the same countywide polling
84	84	places; and
85	85	(5) each election of a political subdivision located
86	86	in the county that is held jointly with an election described by
87	87	Subdivision (3) or (4).
88	88	(f) In selecting countywide polling places, a county must
89	89	adopt a methodology for determining where each polling place will
90	90	be located. The total number of countywide polling places may not
91	91	be less than:
92	92	(1) except as provided by Subdivision (2), 50 percent
93	93	of the number of precinct polling places that would otherwise be
94	94	located in the county for that election; or
95	95	(2) for an election held in the first year in which the
96	96	county establishes countywide polling places under this section
97	97	[participates in the program], 65 percent of the number of precinct
98	98	polling places that would otherwise be located in the county for
99	99	that election.
100	100	(g) A county that uses countywide polling places under this
101	101	section [participating in the program] must establish a plan to
102	102	provide notice informing voters of the changes made to the
103	103	locations of polling places [under the program]. The plan must
104	104	require that notice of the location of the nearest countywide
105	105	polling place be posted on election day at each polling place used
106	106	in the previous general election for state and county officers that
107	107	is not used as a countywide polling place.
108	108	SECTION 5. Sections 43.007(b), (c), (d), (i), (j), (k), and
109	109	(l), Election Code, are repealed.
110	110	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.