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Woodward, Lee <br />From:Elections Internet <Elections@sos.texas.gov> <br />Sent:Monday, August 10, 2020 8:29 AM <br />To:Elections Internet <br />Subject:MASS EMAIL (CSO-3331) - Early Voting Requirements for November 3, 2020. <br />Sensitivity:Personal <br />DearElectionOfficials: <br />OnJuly27,2020,GovernorGregAbbottissuedaproclamationsuspendingSection85.001(a)oftheTexasElectionCode <br />toexpandtheearlyvotingperiodfortheNovember3,2020elections.receivedanumberofquestionsrelatedto <br />thisissue.Wewouldliketoclarifyseveralthingsabouttheearlyvotingrequirements. <br />1.EarlyVotingPeriod:TheearlyvotingperiodwillbeginonTuesday,October13,2020andendonFriday, <br />October30,2020. <br />2. HourRequirementswhentheCountyorCityistheEarlyVotingClerk:PerSection85.005(a)oftheElection <br />Code,earlyvotingbypersonalappearanceshallbeconductedontheweekdaysoftheearlyvotingperiodand <br />duringthehoursthattheearlyvotingmainbusinessofficeisregularlyopenforbusiness.Theearlyvoting <br />clerkcanorderadditionalhoursbeyondtheminimumrequirements. <br />a. HourRequirementswhentheCountyorCityisNOTtheearlyvotingClerk:Earlyvotingbypersonal <br />appearancemustbeconductedatthemainearlyvotingpollingplaceforatleast8hourseachweekday <br />oftheearlyvotingperiodthatisnotalegalstateholiday.Iftheterritoryhasfewerthan1,000 <br />registeredvoters,votingshallbeconductedatleastthreehourseachday.(Sec.85.005(b)). <br />3. ExtendedHourRequirementsforCountyEarlyVotingClerks <br />a. ExtendedHoursforCounties(notcities)withapopulationof100,000orgreater:Earlyvotinginthe <br />generalelectionforstateandcountyofficersmustbeconductedatthemainearlyvotinglocationforat <br />least12hoursoneachweekdayofthe lastweek oftheearlyvotingperiod.(Sec.85.005(c)).The <br />requirementtoconductSaturdayandSundayvotingatthemainearlyvotinglocationtriggers <br />Saturday/Sundayvotingatanymandatorytemporarybranchesinthecountyelectionestablishedunder <br />Section85.064(d). <br />b. ExtendedHoursforCounties(notcities)withapopulationunder100,000:Ifthecountyearlyvoting <br />clerkreceivesawrittenrequest(PDF)byatleast15registeredvotersofthecountyforextendedhours, <br />earlyvotinginageneralelectionforstateandcountyofficersmustbeconductedatthemainearly <br />votinglocationforatleast12hoursoneachweekdayofthelastweekoftheearlyvotingperiod.(Sec. <br />85.005(c)).ThewrittenrequestmustbesubmittedintimetoenablecompliancewithSection85.067. <br />(Secs.85.005(c),85.067(c)).ForNovember,thisdeadlineisOctober20,2020. <br />c. ExtendedHoursforCities(evenwhenthecountyisservingastheearlyvotingclerk):PerSection <br />85.005(d),earlyvotingbypersonalappearanceshallbeconductedforatleast12hoursontwo <br />weekdays.Ifthecountyisconductinganelectiononthebehalfeitheraspartofacontractfor <br />electionservicesorajointelectionagreement,thecountymustcomplywiththisextendedhour <br />requirement. <br />4. WeekendHourswhentheCountyistheEarlyVotingClerk:Thecountyelectionofficermayorderearlyvoting <br />onanySaturdayorSundayduringtheearlyvotingperiodandmaydeterminethehoursforsuchSaturdayor <br />Sundayearlyvoting.NoticeofSaturdayorSundayearlyvoting(PDF)mustbepostedcontinuouslyforat <br />least72hoursimmediatelyprecedingthefirsthourthatvotingwillbeconducted.(Sec.85.007(c)).The <br />1 <br /> <br />