Amends TCA Title 2.

Present law prohibits the totaling of absentee ballots and votes cast by mechanical or electronic voting machine during early voting until after all polls in the county are closed. This bill requires a counting board to release the results from early and absentee voting at 8:00 p.m. prevailing time in counties in the eastern time zone and at 7:00 p.m. prevailing time in counties in the central time zone, but in no event may the votes for any candidate be released as long as voters in the county are still waiting in line to vote. This bill replaces the present law prohibition against totaling early and absentee voting with a provision that specifies the times specified for releasing early and absentee voting results do not prohibit the counting board from preparing to total votes before the polls are required to close.