Relating to processing early voting ballots voted by mail.

HB 3775 amends Texas Election Code sections 87.0241 and 87.042 to regulate the processing of mail-in early voting ballots. It prohibits county election boards from opening mail-in ballot envelopes or counting ballots before election day polls open, or before the end of in-person early voting in counties with over 100,000 residents. The bill also requires election boards to maintain detailed chain-of-custody records with signatures from a presiding judge, a board member of a different political party, and a poll watcher if present. These changes apply only to elections held on or after September 1, 2025, and do not affect ballots processed before that date. The bill directly affects county election officials managing mail-in early voting in larger Texas counties.