AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Early voting for elections being held on July 14 will be extended for a week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday.
Abbott issued a proclamation Monday calling for early voting to begin on Monday, June 29, a week earlier than the original date of July 6.
The July 14 date includes primary runoffs that were originally scheduled for May 26. Races on the ballot include a number of runoffs for local and congressional offices, and the statewide Democratic U.S. Senate runoff between former Air Force helicopter pilot MJ Hegar and state Sen. Royce West. Also on the ballot is a special election for Texas State Senate District 14, to fill Kirk Watson's unexpired term.
"In order to ensure that elections proceed efficiently and safely when Texans go to the polls to cast a vote in person during early voting or on election day," Abbott wrote in the proclamation, "it is necessary to increase the number of days in which polling locations will be open during the early voting period, such that election officials can implement appropriate social distancing and safe hygiene practices."