S.B. No. 2753 aims to enhance the integration of early voting by personal appearance with election day voting in Texas, along with modifications to the processing of election returns. Key amendments include extending the hours for early voting by personal appearance and ensuring that the registrar's office remains open during these extended hours for voter registration information. The bill allows counties with fewer than 55,000 residents to use state funds to cover costs associated with keeping polling places open during early voting. It also introduces provisions for combining election precincts with fewer than 3,000 registered voters to avoid unnecessary expenses while ensuring compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Additionally, the bill mandates that early voting locations be designated as polling places on election day and requires detailed reporting of voting statistics.

The legislation further amends various sections of the Election Code to enhance the security and processing of early voting ballots. It requires early voting clerks to secure voting machines at the end of each day and unsecure them before the next day's voting begins. Voted and unvoted ballots at branch polling places must be handled securely, with unvoted ballots stored separately and voted ballots delivered to the main polling place. The bill also introduces new procedures for counting and reporting early voting ballots, ensuring they are treated similarly to those cast on election day. It repeals several outdated provisions and mandates the Secretary of State to adopt rules for implementing these changes by August 1, 2027, with the new regulations applying only to elections ordered after the Secretary confirms readiness for implementation. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 32.003, Election Code 41.031, Election Code 42.002, Election Code 43.002, Election Code 43.003, Election Code 172.128, Election Code 173.007, Agriculture Code 201.073, Education Code 33.092, Education Code 130.253, Election Code 1.005, Election Code 1.016, Election Code 2.025, Election Code 2.081, Election Code 3.006, Election Code 4.003, Election Code 4.004, Election Code 12.004, Election Code 13.002, Election Code 13.143, Election Code 15.025, Election Code 16.031, Election Code 18.001, Election Code 18.002, Election Code 18.003, Election Code 18.006, Election Code 18.069, Election Code 19.004, Election Code 31.014, Election Code 31.016, Election Code 31.017, Election Code 31.018, Election Code 31.020, Election Code 31.097, Election Code 31.122, Election Code 31.124, Election Code 32.0511, Election Code 32.054, Election Code 32.075, Election Code 61.003, Election Code 32.114, Election Code 33.004, Election Code 33.007, Election Code 33.033, Election Code 33.051, Election Code 33.052, Election Code 33.054, Election Code 33.060, Election Code 41.032, Election Code 42.006, Election Code 51.003, Election Code 51.004, Election Code 51.006, Election Code 51.007, Election Code 123.006, Election Code 124.006, Election Code 125.006, Election Code 125.010, Election Code 127.1232, Election Code 127.131, Election Code 128.001, Election Code 129.002, Election Code 141.063, Election Code 145.003, Election Code 162.003, Election Code 162.005, Election Code 172.1111, Election Code 172.1112, Election Code 172.1113, Election Code 172.1114, Election Code 172.1141, Election Code 172.124, Election Code 172.126, Election Code 173.003, Election Code 173.081, Election Code 212.134, Election Code 213.003, Election Code 213.006, Election Code 221.018, Election Code 231.007, Election Code 232.013, Election Code 232.048, Election Code 247.001, Election Code 271.006, Election Code 271.0071, Election Code 272.004, Election Code 272.005, Election Code 272.006, Election Code 272.011, Election Code 276.004, Election Code 276.010, Election Code 276.013, Election Code 276.015, Election Code 276.016, Election Code 276.017, Election Code 277.002, Local Government Code 42.154, Penal Code 46.03, Water Code 26.087, Water Code 49.103, Water Code 49.108, Water Code 49.111, Water Code 49.112, Water Code 49.4645, Water Code 63.0895 (Election Code 15, Election Code 145, Election Code 4, Election Code 272, Local Government Code 42, Election Code 162, Election Code 18, Education Code 130, Election Code 271, Election Code 172, Election Code 41, Election Code 12, Election Code 247, Election Code 16, Election Code 127, Education Code 33, Election Code 42, Election Code 31, Election Code 128, Election Code 33, Election Code 276, Election Code 1, Election Code 123, Election Code 2, Election Code 19, Election Code 212, Penal Code 46, Election Code 32, Election Code 61, Election Code 43, Election Code 173, Water Code 49, Election Code 141, Election Code 221, Election Code 231, Election Code 129, Election Code 125, Election Code 213, Agriculture Code 201, Election Code 232, Election Code 13, Election Code 124, Water Code 26, Election Code 51, Water Code 63, Election Code 3, Election Code 277)
Senate Committee Report: Election Code 12.004, Election Code 19.004, Election Code 42.0051, Election Code 61.002, Election Code 62.005, Election Code 65.002, Election Code 65.014, Election Code 65.016, Election Code 66.0021, Election Code 67.004, Election Code 67.017, Election Code 84.032, Election Code 87.0271, Election Code 85.005, Election Code 85.007, Election Code 85.032, Election Code 85.033, Election Code 85.071, Election Code 87.021, Election Code 87.022, Election Code 87.0241, Election Code 87.103, Election Code 87.104, Election Code 87.1231, Election Code 102.003, Election Code 127.131, Election Code 172.124, The following provisions of the Election Code 67.017 (Election Code 15, Election Code 145, Election Code 4, Election Code 272, Local Government Code 42, Election Code 84, Election Code 162, Election Code 18, The following provisions of the Election Code 67, Election Code 67, Education Code 130, Election Code 85, Election Code 271, Election Code 102, Election Code 172, Election Code 41, Election Code 87, Election Code 12, Election Code 247, Election Code 16, Election Code 127, Education Code 33, Election Code 42, Election Code 66, Election Code 31, Election Code 128, Election Code 33, Election Code 276, Election Code 1, Election Code 123, Election Code 2, Election Code 19, Election Code 212, Penal Code 46, Election Code 32, Election Code 61, Election Code 43, Election Code 173, Water Code 49, Election Code 141, Election Code 221, Election Code 231, Election Code 129, Election Code 125, Election Code 62, Election Code 213, Agriculture Code 201, Election Code 65, Election Code 232, Election Code 13, Election Code 124, Water Code 26, Election Code 51, Water Code 63, Election Code 3, Election Code 277)
Engrossed: Election Code 12.004, Election Code 19.004, Election Code 42.0051, Election Code 61.002, Election Code 62.005, Election Code 65.002, Election Code 65.014, Election Code 65.016, Election Code 66.0021, Election Code 67.004, Election Code 67.017, Election Code 84.032, Election Code 87.0271, Election Code 85.005, Election Code 85.007, Election Code 85.032, Election Code 85.033, Election Code 85.071, Election Code 87.021, Election Code 87.022, Election Code 87.0241, Election Code 87.103, Election Code 87.104, Election Code 87.1231, Election Code 102.003, Election Code 127.131, Election Code 172.124, The following provisions of the Election Code 67.017 (Election Code 15, Election Code 145, Election Code 4, Election Code 272, Local Government Code 42, Election Code 84, Election Code 162, Election Code 18, The following provisions of the Election Code 67, Election Code 67, Education Code 130, Election Code 85, Election Code 271, Election Code 102, Election Code 172, Election Code 41, Election Code 87, Election Code 12, Election Code 247, Election Code 16, Election Code 127, Education Code 33, Election Code 42, Election Code 66, Election Code 31, Election Code 128, Election Code 33, Election Code 276, Election Code 1, Election Code 123, Election Code 2, Election Code 19, Election Code 212, Penal Code 46, Election Code 32, Election Code 61, Election Code 43, Election Code 173, Water Code 49, Election Code 141, Election Code 221, Election Code 231, Election Code 129, Election Code 125, Election Code 62, Election Code 213, Agriculture Code 201, Election Code 65, Election Code 232, Election Code 13, Election Code 124, Water Code 26, Election Code 51, Water Code 63, Election Code 3, Election Code 277)
House Committee Report: (Election Code 15, Election Code 145, Election Code 4, Election Code 272, Local Government Code 42, Election Code 84, Election Code 162, Election Code 18, The following provisions of the Election Code 67, Election Code 67, Education Code 130, Election Code 85, Election Code 271, Election Code 102, Election Code 172, Election Code 41, Election Code 87, Election Code 12, Election Code 247, Election Code 16, Election Code 127, Education Code 33, Election Code 42, Election Code 66, Election Code 31, Election Code 128, Election Code 33, Election Code 276, Election Code 1, Election Code 123, Election Code 2, Election Code 19, Election Code 212, Penal Code 46, Election Code 32, Election Code 61, Election Code 43, Election Code 173, Water Code 49, Election Code 141, Election Code 221, Election Code 231, Election Code 129, Election Code 125, Election Code 62, Election Code 213, Agriculture Code 201, Election Code 65, Election Code 232, Election Code 13, Election Code 124, Water Code 26, Election Code 51, Water Code 63, Election Code 3, Election Code 277)
Enrolled: Election Code 12.004, Election Code 19.004, Election Code 42.0051, Election Code 61.002, Election Code 62.005, Election Code 65.002, Election Code 65.014, Election Code 65.016, Election Code 66.0021, Election Code 67.004, Election Code 67.017, Election Code 84.032, Election Code 87.0271, Election Code 85.005, Election Code 85.007, Election Code 85.032, Election Code 85.033, Election Code 85.071, Election Code 87.021, Election Code 87.022, Election Code 87.0241, Election Code 87.103, Election Code 87.104, Election Code 87.1231, Election Code 102.003, Election Code 127.131, Election Code 172.124, The following provisions of the Election Code 67.017 (Election Code 15, Election Code 145, Election Code 4, Election Code 272, Local Government Code 42, Election Code 84, Election Code 162, Election Code 18, The following provisions of the Election Code 67, Election Code 67, Education Code 130, Election Code 85, Election Code 271, Election Code 102, Election Code 172, Election Code 41, Election Code 87, Election Code 12, Election Code 247, Election Code 16, Election Code 127, Education Code 33, Election Code 42, Election Code 66, Election Code 31, Election Code 128, Election Code 33, Election Code 276, Election Code 1, Election Code 123, Election Code 2, Election Code 19, Election Code 212, Penal Code 46, Election Code 32, Election Code 61, Election Code 43, Election Code 173, Water Code 49, Election Code 141, Election Code 221, Election Code 231, Election Code 129, Election Code 125, Election Code 62, Election Code 213, Agriculture Code 201, Election Code 65, Election Code 232, Election Code 13, Election Code 124, Water Code 26, Election Code 51, Water Code 63, Election Code 3, Election Code 277)