Monitoring the Session

HB 1857

bill moving the start of early voting

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Sheryl ColeDHouse 46

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the early voting period.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Starts after the registration deadline, not the 17th day before.

The bill changes when early voting in person starts in Texas elections. Instead of starting on the 17th day before election day, early voting would start on the first business day after the last day a voter registration can take effect for that election under the voter registration law. Early voting would still end on the fourth day before election day, so the length of the early voting window would change for every voter, county election office and polling site.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1272 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1272 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.QUICK READ: 104 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 104 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 15, 2025 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1857 · 2025-01-15

SOLD BY

Rep. Sheryl ColeDHouse 46

ITEM

relating to the early voting period.

WHAT IT DOES

Starts after the registration deadline, not the 17th day before.

The bill changes when early voting in person starts in Texas elections. Instead of starting on the 17th day before election day, early voting would start on the first business day after the last day a voter registration can take effect for that election under the voter registration law. Early voting would still end on the fourth day before election day, so the length of the early voting window would change for every voter, county election office and polling site.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Elections
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Sheryl Cole

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10KTexas Sands PAC$8KTexans for Reasonable Solutions PAC$5K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Jun 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Apr 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988744, 101010769, 101029923, 101061103.

Texas Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 3, 2024 to Jun 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988744, 101061103.

Texans for Reasonable Solutions PAC$5,000.00

Texans for Reasonable Solutions PAC

$5,000.00

Cash
$5,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$5,000.00

Also funds 81 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 23, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 6, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101029923.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Apr 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988744, 101010769, 101029923, 101061103.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 3, 2024 to Jun 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100988744, 101061103.

×

Texans for Reasonable Solutions PAC

$5,000.00

Cash
$5,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$5,000.00

Also funds 81 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 23, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 6, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101029923.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 1272

by Rep. Cole, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 3, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to the early voting period.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Jan 15, 2025

03/14/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 14 2025 2:36PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Elections--Early Voting

Text

The text as introduced · 104 words

89R1948 MLH-D

By: Cole
H.B. No. 1857

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the early voting period.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 85.001(a), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) The period for early voting by personal appearance

begins on the first business [ 17th ] day after the last day a voter

registration becomes effective for [ before ] election day under

Section 13.143 and continues through the fourth day before election

day, except as otherwise provided by this section.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.