87R10987 SLB-F
	By: Bettencourt	S.B. No. 1663

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the administration of the countywide polling place
	program.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Section 43.007, Election Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (m) and adding Subsection (m-1) to read as
	follows:
	(m)  In adopting a methodology under Subsection (f), the
	county must ensure that:
	(1)  in a county with a population of less than one
	million:
	(A)  each county commissioners precinct contains
	at least one countywide polling place; and
	(B)  the deviation in the percentage of the total
	number of countywide polling places located in a commissioners
	precinct does not vary by more than one percentage point in a
	precinct; and
	(2)  in a county with a population of one million or
	more, the number of polling places located in each state
	representative district included in the territory of the county is
	calculated by dividing the number of voters residing in that
	district by the total number of voters residing in the county and
	using the number generated as a percentage to allocate the same
	percentage of polling place locations, rounding up to the nearest
	whole number, if necessary [the total number of permanent branch
	and temporary branch polling places open for voting in a county
	commissioners precinct does not exceed more than twice the number
	of permanent branch and temporary branch polling places in another
	county commissioners precinct].
	(m-1)  Election officials and voting equipment, materials,
	and supplies must be allocated to each polling place based on the
	same percentage as polling place locations are determined under
	Subsection (m) with no greater than a five percent deviation in the
	allocation between polling place locations. Each polling place
	location must be able to accommodate 100 percent of the equipment
	allocated to be operational at the same time.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.