Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2820 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15641 MLH-F
2	2	By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 2820
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the number of polling places in certain counties.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 43.007, Election Code, is amended by
12	12	amending Subsection (m) and adding Subsection (m-1) to read as
13	13	follows:
14	14	(m) In adopting a methodology under Subsection (f), the
15	15	county must ensure that:
16	16	(1) each county commissioners precinct contains at
17	17	least one countywide polling place; [and]
18	18	(2) the total number of polling places open for voting
19	19	in a county commissioners precinct does not exceed more than twice
20	20	the number of polling places in another county commissioners
21	21	precinct; and
22	22	(3) in a county with a population of more than 1
23	23	million, the number of polling places within the boundary of a state
24	24	representative district may not differ from the number of polling
25	25	places within the boundary of another state representative district
26	26	in the county by more than one.
27	27	(m-1) For purposes of Subsection (m)(3), a state
28	28	representative district located in more than one county shall have
29	29	a number of polling places required by that subdivision reduced in
30	30	proportion to the number of qualified voters from that state
31	31	representative district who reside in the county, as determined by
32	32	the secretary of state.
33	33	SECTION 2. Section 85.062, Election Code, is amended by
34	34	amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
35	35	follows:
36	36	(d) In a primary election, the general election for state
37	37	and county officers, or a special election to fill a vacancy in the
38	38	legislature or in congress:
39	39	(1) the commissioners court of a county with a
40	40	population of 1 million [400,000] or more shall establish one or
41	41	more early voting polling places other than the main early voting
42	42	polling place in each state representative district containing
43	43	territory covered by the election, except that:
44	44	(A) the polling place or places shall be
45	45	established in the state senatorial or congressional district, as
46	46	applicable, in a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of
47	47	state senator or United States representative; and
48	48	(B) the number of early voting polling places
49	49	within the boundary of a state representative district may not
50	50	differ from the number of early voting polling places within the
51	51	boundary of another state representative district in the county by
52	52	more than one;
53	53	(2) the commissioners court of a county with a
54	54	population of 120,000 or more but less than 1 million [400,000]
55	55	shall establish one or more early voting polling places other than
56	56	the main early voting polling place in each commissioners precinct
57	57	containing territory covered by the election; and
58	58	(3) the early voting clerk of a county with a
59	59	population of 100,000 or more but less than 120,000 shall establish
60	60	one or more early voting polling places as described by Subdivision
61	61	(2) in each precinct for which the early voting clerk receives in
62	62	time to enable compliance with Section 85.067 a written request for
63	63	that action submitted by at least 15 registered voters of that
64	64	precinct.
65	65	(e) For purposes of Subsection (d)(1)(B), a state
66	66	representative district located in more than one county shall have
67	67	a number of polling places required by that paragraph reduced in
68	68	proportion to the number of qualified voters from that state
69	69	representative district who reside in the county, as determined by
70	70	the secretary of state.
71	71	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.