| 1 | 1 | | 89R15278 MLH-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hinojosa of Nueces S.B. No. 2000 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the hours of early voting by personal appearance in |
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| 10 | 10 | | certain counties. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 85.005, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as |
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| 14 | 14 | | follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) Except as provided by this section [Subsection (c)], in |
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| 16 | 16 | | an election in which a county clerk is the early voting clerk under |
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| 17 | 17 | | Section 83.002, early voting by personal appearance at the main |
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| 18 | 18 | | early voting polling place shall be conducted on each weekday of the |
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| 19 | 19 | | early voting period that is not a legal state holiday and for a |
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| 20 | 20 | | period of at least nine hours, except that voting may not be |
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| 21 | 21 | | conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (e) In a county with a population of less than 70,000, early |
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| 23 | 23 | | voting by personal appearance at the main early voting polling |
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| 24 | 24 | | place shall be conducted on each weekday of the early voting period |
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| 25 | 25 | | that is not a legal state holiday and for a period of at least five |
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| 26 | 26 | | hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. |
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| 27 | 27 | | or later than 10 p.m. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. Section 85.006(e), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 29 | 29 | | read as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (e) In a primary election or the general election for state |
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| 31 | 31 | | and county officers, the early voting clerk of a county with a |
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| 32 | 32 | | population of 70,000 or more shall order voting by personal |
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| 33 | 33 | | appearance at the main early voting polling place to be conducted on |
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| 34 | 34 | | the last Saturday of the early voting period for at least 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | consecutive hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier |
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| 36 | 36 | | than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of the |
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| 37 | 37 | | early voting period for at least six consecutive hours, except that |
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| 38 | 38 | | voting may not be conducted earlier than 9 a.m. or later than 10 |
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| 39 | 39 | | p.m. This subsection supersedes any provision of this subchapter |
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| 40 | 40 | | to the extent of any conflict. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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