HB633 - Relating to the days and hours during which the polls are open for early voting by personal appearance.

  89R1514 TSS-F     By: Bucy H.B. No. 633       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the days and hours during which the polls are open for   early voting by personal appearance.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 12.004(d), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (d)   The [ If early voting by personal appearance is required   to be conducted for extended hours under Section 85.005(c) or for   weekend hours under Section 85.006(e), the ] registrar's office   shall remain open for providing voter registration information   during the [ extended hours or weekend ] hours that the main early   voting polling place is open for voting.          SECTION 2.  Sections 85.001(a) and (e), Election Code, are   amended to read as follows:          (a)  The period for early voting by personal appearance   begins on the 17th day before election day and continues through the   fourth day before election day, except as otherwise provided by   this subchapter [ section ].          (e)  For an election held on the uniform election date in May   and any resulting runoff election, the period for early voting by   personal appearance begins on the 12th day before election day and   continues through the fourth day before election day , except as   otherwise provided by this subchapter .          SECTION 3.  Section 85.006, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 85.006.   EXTENDED VOTING [ ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY ]. (a)   Except as provided by Subsection (b), the authority ordering an   election may order early voting by personal appearance at the main   early voting polling place to be conducted :                 (1)   on one or more Saturdays or Sundays during the   early voting period ; or                 (2)     during an early voting period extended from the   fourth day before election day for any number of consecutive days up   to and including the day before election day .          (b)  In an election in which a county clerk is the early   voting clerk under Section 83.002, only the early voting clerk may   order extended voting [ on a Saturday or Sunday ]. The clerk must do   so by written order.          (c)   Except as otherwise provided by this section, the [ The ]   authority ordering extended voting [ on a Saturday or Sunday ] shall   determine the hours during which voting is to be conducted.          (d)  The authority authorized to order extended early voting   [ on a Saturday or Sunday ] under Subsection (a) or (b) shall order   [ the ] voting on a Saturday or Sunday under the applicable   subsection on receipt of a written request submitted by at least 15   registered voters of the territory covered by the election. The   request must be submitted in time to enable compliance with Section   85.007. The authority is not required to order the voting on a   particular date specified by the request but shall order the voting   on at least one Saturday if a Saturday is requested and on at least   one Sunday if a Sunday is requested.          (e)  In a primary election or the general election for state   and county officers, the early voting clerk shall order voting by   personal appearance at the main early voting polling place to be   conducted on the last Saturday of the early voting period for at   least 12 consecutive hours, except that voting may not be conducted   earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of   the early voting period for at least six consecutive hours, except   that voting may not be conducted earlier than 9 a.m. or later than   10 p.m. This subsection supersedes any provision of this   subchapter to the extent of any conflict.           (f)     An authority authorized to order extended early voting   under Subsection (a) or (b) that orders the voting during an   extended early voting period shall order personal appearance voting   at the main early voting polling place to be conducted for at least   12 hours on any weekday or Saturday and for at least five hours on   any Sunday of the extended early voting period.          SECTION 4.  Sections 85.007(a) and (b), Election Code, are   amended to read as follows:          (a)  The election order and the election notice must state:                (1)  the date that early voting will begin if under   Section 85.001(d) the early voting period is to begin later than the   prescribed date;                (2)  the regular dates and hours that voting will be   conducted under Section 85.005(b); and                (3)  the dates and hours that extended voting [ on   Saturday or Sunday ] is ordered to be conducted under Section   85.006(a).          (b)  The early voting clerk shall post notice for each   election stating the dates and hours that extended voting [ on a   Saturday or Sunday ] is ordered to be conducted under Section   85.006(b).          SECTION 5.  Section 85.064(d), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (d)  The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order   extended early voting [ on a Saturday or Sunday ] may also order, in   the manner prescribed by that section, extended early voting to be   conducted [ on a Saturday or Sunday ] at any one or more of the   temporary branch polling places. In addition, the early voting   clerk shall order such voting in accordance with Section 85.006(e)   at each temporary branch polling place established under Section   85.062(d).          SECTION 6.  Section 85.068(a), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  The early voting clerk shall post notice for each   election stating any dates and the hours that extended voting [ on   Saturday or Sunday ] will be conducted under Section 85.064(d), if   the early voting clerk is a county clerk or city secretary under   Section 83.002 or 83.005.          SECTION 7.  Section 87.0241, Election Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as   follows:          (b)  The board may not count early voting ballots until:                (1)  the polls open on election day; or                (2)  in an election conducted by an authority of a   county with a population of 100,000 or more, or conducted jointly   with such a county or conducted with such a county through a   contract for election services, the time the polls close on the   fourth day before election day [ end of the period for early voting   by personal appearance ].           (b-1)     The board may not count early voting ballots voted by   personal appearance after the fourth day before election day until   the end of the extended early voting period.          SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.