Bill Text: TX SB2232 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to a study on the effect of a change to the period for voting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-23 - Committee report sent to Calendars [SB2232 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB2232-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to a study on the effect of a change to the period for voting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-23 - Committee report sent to Calendars [SB2232 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB2232-Introduced.html
By: Hall | S.B. No. 2232 | |
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relating to elections. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 41, Election Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 41.0015 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 41.0015. ELECTION PERIOD. In this title, "election | ||
period" means the period beginning on the first day of voting by | ||
personal appearance and ending when the polls close on election | ||
day. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 43, Election Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 43.008 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 43.008. POLLING PLACES DURING ELECTION PERIOD. (a) | ||
The county clerk or commissioners court, as applicable, shall | ||
determine the number of polling places needed during an election | ||
period and cause that number of polling places to be open during the | ||
election period. | ||
(b) If the county clerk or commissioners court, as | ||
applicable, determines that more polling places are needed during | ||
the election period than the number initially established under | ||
Subsection (a), the county clerk or commissioners court may open | ||
more polling places, but may not, for any reason, close a polling | ||
place before the end of the election period. | ||
(c) 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 eligible voters residing in that district by | ||
the total number of eligible 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 | ||
SECTION 3. Section 61.002, Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 61.002. OPENING AND CLOSING POLLING PLACE FOR VOTING. | ||
(a) Immediately before opening the polls for voting on the first | ||
day of the election period, the presiding election judge shall | ||
confirm that each voting machine has any public counter reset to | ||
zero and shall print the tape that shows the counter was set to | ||
zero. | ||
(b) At the official time for opening the polls for voting, | ||
an election officer shall open the polling place entrance and admit | ||
the voters. | ||
(c) Immediately after closing the polls for voting on the | ||
last day of the election period, the presiding election judge shall | ||
print the tape to show the summary for each candidate or ballot | ||
measure for each voting machine. | ||
(d) Each precinct election judge and an official election | ||
worker form the opposite party shall sign a tape printed under this | ||
section. | ||
SECTION 4. Sections 85.001(a) and (e), Election Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The period for |
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begins on the [ |
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through the [ |
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provided by this section. | ||
(e) For an election held on the uniform election date in May | ||
and any resulting runoff election, the period for |
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personal appearance begins on the [ |
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day and continues through the [ |
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SECTION 5. Chapter 121, Election Code, is amended by adding | ||
Section 121.004 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 125.0635. SECURING EQUIPMENT ON FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT. | ||
(a) In this section, "election period" has the meaning assigned by | ||
Section 41.0015. | ||
(b) If during the election period a piece of electronic | ||
voting machine equipment fails and is taken out of service, the | ||
equipment and any associated memory card must be securely isolated | ||
until the end of the election period. | ||
SECTION 6. Chapter 276 of the Election Code, is amended to | ||
is amended by adding Section 276.013 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 276.013 Feasibility Study for Single Voting Period. | ||
(a) Not later than September 1, 2022, the Secretary of State | ||
shall: | ||
(1) Conduct a study regarding the development of a | ||
plan on implementation of eliminating the four-day gap between | ||
early voting and election day in order to establish a single voting | ||
period for Texas elections. | ||
(2) Prepare a report on the study's findings and file | ||
the report with the legislature not later than September 1, 2022. | ||
(b) The study must include: | ||
(1) information on how other states conduct the voting | ||
period and their use of paper ballots to facilitate the combined | ||
period; | ||
(2) information on the feasibility and costs of | ||
adopting voter marked paper ballots compared to ballots printed by | ||
a ballot marking device; | ||
(3) recommendations for statutory changes that are | ||
necessary to create a single voting period. | ||
Section 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |