Bill Text: TX SB25 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 2nd Special Session | Introduced

Texas Senate Bill 25 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to the management of polling place locations during a continuous period for voting.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-06 - Filed [SB25 Detail]

Download: Texas-2021-SB25-Introduced.html



	By: Hall	S.B. No. 25


	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	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 [~~17th~~] day before election day and continues
	through the opening of the polls on [~~the fourth day before~~] election
	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 [~~12th~~] day before election
	day and continues through the opening of the polls on [~~the fourth~~
	~~day before~~] election day.
	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.