Bill Text: TX SB18 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the management of polling place locations during a continuous period for voting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-09-08 - Filed [SB18 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB18-Introduced.html
| By: Hall | S.B. No. 18 | |
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| relating to the management of polling place locations during a | ||
| continuous period for voting. | ||
| 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 early voting | ||
| by personal appearance as described under Section 85.001 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. ADDITIONAL POLLING PLACES DURING ELECTION | ||
| PERIOD. If the county clerk or commissioners court, as applicable, | ||
| determines that more polling places are needed during the election | ||
| period than the number initially opened, 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. | ||
| 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 zero tape: | ||
| (1) that shows the counter was set to zero; and | ||
| (2) that shows the summary for each candidate and | ||
| measure on the ballot for each voting machine is 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 results tape to show the summary of votes for each | ||
| candidate or ballot measure for each voting machine at that polling | ||
| location. | ||
| (d) The precinct election judge, and an election official | ||
| aligned with a different political party, shall sign a tape printed | ||
| under this section. | ||
| (e) In this section, "election period" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 41.0015. | ||
| SECTION 4. 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 14th [ |
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| through the opening of the polls on [ |
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| day, except as otherwise provided by this 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 10th [ |
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| day and continues through the opening of the polls on [ |
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| SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 125, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 125.0635 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 a piece of electronic voting machine equipment fails | ||
| and is taken out of service during the election period, the | ||
| equipment and any associated memory card must be securely isolated | ||
| until the end of the election period. | ||
| SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the | ||
| legislative session. | ||
