Bill Text: TX HB2265 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the hours for voting during the early voting period.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 9-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-15 - Referred to Elections [HB2265 Detail]

Download: Texas-2021-HB2265-Introduced.html

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87R6474 BRG-D
By: Paul H.B. No. 2265

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the hours for voting during the early voting period.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 85.005, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 85.005. REGULAR DAYS AND HOURS FOR VOTING. (a) Except
as provided by Subsection (c), in an election in which a county
clerk or city secretary is the early voting clerk under Section
83.002 or 83.005, early voting by personal appearance at the main
early voting polling place shall be conducted on the weekdays of the
early voting period and during the hours that the county clerk's or
city secretary's main business office is regularly open for
business, except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 7
a.m. or later than 7 p.m.[.]
(b) In an election to which Subsection (a) does not apply,
early voting by personal appearance at the main early voting
polling place shall be conducted at least eight hours each weekday
of the early voting period that is not a legal state holiday unless
the territory covered by the election has fewer than 1,000
registered voters. In that case, the voting shall be conducted at
least three hours each day. The authority ordering the election, or
the county clerk if that person is the early voting clerk, shall
determine which hours the voting is to be conducted except that
voting may not be conducted earlier than 7 a.m. or later than 7
p.m.[.]
(c) In a county with a population of 100,000 or more, the
voting in a primary election or the general election for state and
county officers shall be conducted at the main early voting polling
place for [at least] 12 hours on each weekday of the last week of the
early voting period, and the voting in a special election ordered by
the governor shall be conducted at the main early voting polling
place for [at least] 12 hours on each of the last two days of the
early voting period. Voting shall be conducted in accordance with
this subsection in those elections in a county with a population
under 100,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a written
request for the extended hours submitted by at least 15 registered
voters of the county. The request must be submitted in time to
enable compliance with Section 85.067.
(d) In an election ordered by a city, early voting by
personal appearance at the main early voting polling place shall be
conducted for [at least] 12 hours:
(1) on one weekday, if the early voting period
consists of less than six weekdays; or
(2) on two weekdays, if the early voting period
consists of six or more weekdays.
SECTION 2. Sections 85.006(c) and (e), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(c) The authority ordering voting on a Saturday or Sunday
shall determine the hours during which voting is to be conducted
except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 7 a.m. or later
than 7 p.m.[.]
(e) In a primary election or the general election for state
and county officers in a county with a population of 100,000 or
more, the early voting clerk shall order personal appearance voting
at the main early voting polling place to be conducted for [at
least] 12 hours on the last Saturday and for at least five hours on
the last Sunday of the early voting period. The early voting clerk
shall order voting to be conducted at those times in those elections
in a county with a population under 100,000 on receipt of a written
request for those hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters
of the county. The request must be submitted in time to enable
compliance with Section 85.007. This subsection supersedes any
provision of this subchapter to the extent of any conflict.
SECTION 3. Section 85.010(c), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) A shared polling place established under Subsection (b)
that is designated as a main early voting polling place by any
political subdivision:
(1) must be open for voting for all political
subdivisions the polling place serves for at least the days and
hours required of a main early voting polling place under Section
85.002 for the political subdivision making the designation; and
(2) may not be open for voting earlier than 7 a.m. or
later than 7 p.m.[.]
SECTION 4. Section 85.064, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) Early voting by personal appearance at a temporary
branch polling place may not be conducted earlier than 7 a.m. or
later than 7 p.m.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.