Texas Statutes
Subchapter A. Time and Place for Voting; Election Officers
Section 85.005. Regular Days and Hours for Voting

Sec. 85.005. REGULAR DAYS AND HOURS FOR VOTING. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), in an election in which a county clerk is the early voting clerk under Section 83.002, early voting by personal appearance at the main early voting polling place shall be conducted on each weekday of the early voting period that is not a legal state holiday and for a period of at least nine hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m.
(b) In an election to which Subsection (a) does not apply, early voting by personal appearance at the main early voting polling place shall be conducted at least nine hours each weekday of the early voting period that is not a legal state holiday unless the territory covered by the election has fewer than 1,000 registered voters. In that case, the voting shall be conducted at least four hours each day. The authority ordering the election, or the county clerk if that person is the early voting clerk, shall determine which hours the voting is to be conducted.
(c) In a county with a population of 55,000 or more, the voting in a primary election or the general election for state and county officers shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place for at least 12 hours on each weekday of the last week of the early voting period, and the voting in a special election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at the main early voting polling place for at least 12 hours on each of the last two days of the early voting period. Voting under this subsection may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m. Voting shall be conducted in accordance with this subsection in those elections in a county with a population under 55,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a written request for the extended hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the county. The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance with Section 85.067.
(d) A voter who has not voted before the scheduled time for closing a polling place is entitled to vote after that time if the voter is in line at the polling place by closing time. The secretary of state shall promulgate any materials and provide any training to presiding judges necessary to properly process voters under this subsection.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1142, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 1.07; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1107 (H.B. 2309), Sec. 1.17, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 1), Sec. 3.09, eff. December 2, 2021.

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