Monitoring the Session

HB 2579

bill bans polling places at public schools

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Mike OlcottRHouse 60

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 use of a public school as a polling place.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No voting on primary or secondary school campuses.

The bill bans polling places on public primary and secondary school campuses in Texas. It touches county election officials who pick polling locations and the voters who now vote at schools. Starting September 1, 2025, schools can no longer serve as voting sites, so those polling places must move elsewhere.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 3190 by Rep. Frazier (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 3190 by Rep. Frazier (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: 139 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 139 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 Feb 7, 2025 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2579 · 2025-02-07

SOLD BY

Rep. Mike OlcottRHouse 60

ITEM

relating to the use of a public school as a polling place.

WHAT IT DOES

No voting on primary or secondary school campuses.

The bill bans polling places on public primary and secondary school campuses in Texas. It touches county election officials who pick polling locations and the voters who now vote at schools. Starting September 1, 2025, schools can no longer serve as voting sites, so those polling places must move elsewhere.

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

Mike Olcott

Donors

Darlene Pendery$300,000Guy and Helen Mabee$100,800Guy Mabee$50,000

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 · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 24, 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.

Darlene Pendery$300,000.00
Guy and Helen Mabee$100,800.00
Guy Mabee$50,000.00
Money

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

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 3190

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

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 15, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to the use of a public school as a polling place.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 7, 2025

03/17/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 17 2025 2:32PM

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

Education--Primary & Secondary--Facilities

Elections--Administration

Elections--General

Text

The text as introduced · 139 words

89R1562 TSS-D

By: Olcott
H.B. No. 2579

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of a public school as a polling place.

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

SECTION 1. Section 43.031(e), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(e) A polling place may not be located :

(1) on a public primary or secondary school campus; or

(2) at the residence of a person who is:

(A) [ (1) ] a candidate for an elective office,

including an office of a political party; or

(B) [ (2) ] related within the third degree by

consanguinity or the second degree by affinity, as determined under

Chapter 573, Government Code, to a candidate described by Paragraph

(A) [ Subdivision (1) ].

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