BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 1888

By: Bonnen, Greg

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

It has been suggested that while the flexibility for election authorities to place and move polling stations during an early voting period was designed to accommodate more voters closer to their homes or workplaces, concerns have been raised about the possibility that some authorities accommodate certain voting populations to the exclusion of others. H.B. 1888 seeks to address this issue by revising the temporary branch polling place hours of operation.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

H.B. 1888 repeals Election Code provisions restricting the days and hours for early voting by personal appearance at a temporary branch polling place based on county population and amends the Election Code to revise the days and hours for early voting by personal appearance at a temporary branch polling place by requiring the voting to be conducted on the days that voting is required to be conducted at the main early voting polling place and to remain open for at least eight hours each day or three hours each day if the city or county clerk does not serve as the early voting clerk for the territory holding the election and the territory has fewer than 1,000 registered voters. The bill clarifies that a movable temporary branch polling place is a polling place located in a movable structure. The bill limits the elections for which certain political subdivisions are required to use the regular county election precincts to an election held on the November uniform election date.

 

H.B. 1888 repeals the following provisions of the Election Code:

·       Section 42.002(c)

·       Sections 85.064(a) and (c)

·       Section 85.065          

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.