Gov. Greg Abbott issued a Proclamation extending the early voting period for the Nov. 3 election by nearly a week.

Under the Monday proclamation, early voting by personal appearance will begin Oct. 13 and continue through Oct. 30.

The proclamation also expands the period in which marked mail-in ballots may be delivered in person to the early voting clerk’s office, allowing such delivery prior to as well as on Election Day.

“As we respond to COVID-19, the State of Texas is focused on strategies that preserve Texans’ ability to vote in a way that also mitigates the spread of the virus,” Abbott said.

“By extending the early voting period and expanding the period in which mail-in ballots can be hand-delivered, Texans will have greater flexibility to cast their ballots, while at the same time protecting themselves and others from COVID-19.”