House Bill No. 4508 amends the Election Code to establish specific early voting hours for counties based on their population size. For counties with a population of 10,000 or more, early voting must occur for at least 12 consecutive hours on each weekday during the last week of the early voting period, and for at least 12 consecutive hours on the last two days of early voting for special elections. In contrast, counties with a population of less than 10,000 can conduct early voting during the same hours, but only if a written request is submitted by at least 15 registered voters.

Additionally, the bill outlines provisions for early voting on weekends. In larger counties, early voting must be conducted for at least 12 consecutive hours on the last Saturday and for at least six hours on the last Sunday of the early voting period. For smaller counties, early voting can occur on either the last Saturday or Sunday for at least 12 consecutive hours, contingent upon agreement from the county chairs of the parties involved. The bill also clarifies that if the territory served by the voting authority spans multiple counties, the combined populations will be used to determine the applicable regulations. The changes will take effect on September 1, 2025, and apply to elections where early voting begins on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 19.004, Election Code 85.005, Election Code 85.006, Election Code 85.064 (Election Code 85, Election Code 19)
House Committee Report: Election Code 85.005, Election Code 85.006, Election Code 85.064 (Election Code 85, Election Code 19)