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Elections official says bill 2753 would extend voting to 13 straight days; implementation timing uncertain
Summary
Tarrant County elections staff described the operational implications of bill 2753 — combining early voting into election day to create up to 13 consecutive days of voting — and said the bill requires a Secretary of State report before counties implement changes, making a November rollout unlikely.
The Tarrant County elections administrator told the board that implementation of bill 2753 would change how early voting is handled and create new logistical and reporting demands.
The administrator said he attended Secretary of State training and that the bill does not take effect automatically on a set date. Instead, the law requires the Secretary of State to release a readiness report before counties can put the change into practice. "This one requires that the secretary of state release a report that basically says, 'All of our counties are now ready to implement this,'" he said.
If the change takes effect, the county would combine early voting with election day and operate up to 13 consecutive days of voting. The administrator described the schedule that would be visible to voters—multiple nine- and 12-hour days across two weekends and a final 12-hour election day—and warned of logistical effects: early voting locations would remain locked during the day and large volumes of ballots would be in polling locations until the voting period closed, which could delay reporting of results.
Board members asked whether the Secretary of State had completed the required report and whether the change could happen before the coming November election; the administrator said he would be "very surprised" if it were implemented this cycle and noted the office is still meeting with counties as part of the readiness process.
Why it matters: Merging early voting into election day changes staffing, ballot handling, security procedures and result reporting timelines. Until the Secretary of State issues a readiness report and counties receive detailed guidance, local offices face uncertainty about schedules and required operational changes.
Next steps: The elections office is monitoring Secretary of State guidance; the board and staff will continue planning and raised the possibility of seeking legislation to ease implementation requirements.
