Title EL, Election Code

Sec. 13.004. RECORDING AND DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REGISTRAR. (a) The registrar may not transcribe, copy, or otherwise record a telephone number furnished on a registration application. (b) The registrar may transcribe, copy, or otherwise record a social security num…

Sec. 13.005. UNLAWFULLY ACTING AS AGENT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person acts as an agent for an applicant but is not eligible for appointment as an agent under Section 13.003(b). (b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. …

Sec. 13.006. PURPORTEDLY ACTING AS AGENT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person purports to act as an agent in applying for registration or in signing a registration application at a time when the person: (1) is not an agent of the applicant under Section 13.003(a); and (…

Sec. 13.007. FALSE STATEMENT ON APPLICATION. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly or intentionally: (1) makes a false statement; or (2) requests, commands, coerces, or attempts to induce another person to make a false statement on a registration application. (b…

Sec. 13.008. PERFORMANCE-BASED COMPENSATION FOR REGISTERING VOTERS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) compensates another person based on the number of voter registrations that the other person successfully facilitates; (2) presents another person with…

Sec. 13.031. APPOINTMENT; TERM. (a) To encourage voter registration, the registrar shall appoint as deputy registrars persons who volunteer to serve. (b) In this code, "volunteer deputy registrar" means a deputy registrar appointed under this section. (c) Volunteer deputy registr…

Sec. 13.032. PROHIBITION ON REFUSING TO APPOINT. A registrar may not refuse to appoint as a volunteer deputy registrar: (1) a person eligible for appointment under Section 13.031(d); or (2) any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, or national origin or ancestry. Acts 1…

Sec. 13.033. CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT. (a) A person desiring to serve as a volunteer deputy registrar must request appointment by the registrar in person or by mail. (b) If a person is to be appointed, the registrar shall prepare a certificate of appointment in duplicate contai…

Sec. 13.034. ACTIVE APPOINTMENT FILE. (a) The registrar shall maintain a file containing the duplicate certificates of appointment of the volunteer deputy registrars whose appointments are effective. (b) The registrar shall maintain the file in alphabetical order by deputy name o…

Sec. 13.035. INACTIVE APPOINTMENT FILE. (a) The registrar shall maintain a file containing the duplicate certificates of appointment of the volunteer deputy registrars whose appointments have been terminated. (b) The registrar shall enter the date of and reason for termination on…

Sec. 13.036. TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT. (a) An appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar is terminated on: (1) the expiration of the volunteer deputy's term of appointment; or (2) the final conviction of the volunteer deputy for an offense prescribed by Section 13.008 or 13.04…

Sec. 13.037. COMPENSATION; BOND. (a) A person may not receive compensation from the county for service as a volunteer deputy registrar unless compensation is authorized by the commissioners court. (b) An unpaid volunteer deputy is not required to give a bond in connection with th…

Sec. 13.038. POWERS GENERALLY. A volunteer deputy registrar may distribute voter registration application forms throughout the county and receive registration applications submitted to the deputy in person. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts…

Sec. 13.039. REVIEW OF APPLICATION. (a) On receipt of a registration application, a volunteer deputy registrar shall review it for completeness in the applicant's presence. (b) If the application does not contain all the required information and the required signature, the volunt…

Sec. 13.040. ISSUANCE OF RECEIPT. (a) On receipt of a completed registration application, a volunteer deputy registrar shall prepare a receipt in duplicate on a form furnished by the registrar. (b) The receipt must contain: (1) the name of the applicant and, if applicable, the na…

Sec. 13.041. EFFECT OF SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION. The date of submission of a completed registration application to a volunteer deputy registrar is considered to be the date of submission to the registrar for the purpose of determining the effective date of registration only. Act…

Sec. 13.042. DELIVERY OF APPLICATION TO REGISTRAR. (a) A volunteer deputy registrar shall deliver in person, or by personal delivery through another designated volunteer deputy, to the registrar each completed voter registration application submitted to the deputy, as provided by…

Sec. 13.043. FAILURE TO DELIVER APPLICATION. (a) A volunteer deputy registrar commits an offense if the deputy fails to comply with Section 13.042. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. (c) An offense under this section …

Sec. 13.044. PURPORTEDLY ACTING AS VOLUNTEER DEPUTY REGISTRAR. (a) A person commits an offense if the person purports to act as a volunteer deputy registrar when the person does not have an effective appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar. (b) An offense under this section i…

Sec. 13.045. ACTIVITY ON GOVERNMENTAL PREMISES. Except as otherwise provided by law, the chief executive of a state agency with approval of the agency's governing body, if any, the chief executive of a department of a city with approval of the city's governing body, or a county o…

Sec. 13.046. HIGH SCHOOL DEPUTY REGISTRARS. (a) Each principal of a public or private high school or the principal's designee shall serve as a deputy registrar for the county in which the school is located. (b) In this code, "high school deputy registrar" means a deputy registrar…

Sec. 13.047. TRAINING STANDARDS FOR DEPUTY REGISTRARS. (a) The secretary of state shall: (1) adopt standards of training in election law relating to the registration of voters; (2) develop materials for a standardized curriculum for that training; and (3) distribute the materials…

Sec. 13.048. OPTIONAL PROCEDURE FOR APPOINTMENT OF VOLUNTEER DEPUTY REGISTRAR; PROVISION OF TRAINING MATERIALS ON SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE. (a) A county may adopt a method of appointment for volunteer deputy registrars prescribed by the secretary of state or developed by the co…

Sec. 13.071. REVIEW OF APPLICATION. (a) The registrar shall review each submitted application for registration to determine whether it complies with Section 13.002 and indicates that the applicant is eligible for registration. (b) The registrar shall make the determination not la…

Sec. 13.072. ACTION ON APPLICATION. (a) Unless the registrar challenges the applicant, the registrar shall approve the application if: (1) the registrar determines that an application complies with Section 13.002 and indicates that the applicant is eligible for registration; and …

Sec. 13.073. NOTICE OF REJECTION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the registrar shall deliver written notice of the reason for the rejection of an application to the applicant not later than the second day after the date of rejection. (b) If the registrar rejects an app…

Sec. 13.074. CHALLENGE OF APPLICANT. (a) If after determining that an application complies with Section 13.002 and indicates that the applicant is eligible for registration, the registrar has reason to believe the applicant is not eligible for registration or the application was …

Sec. 13.075. NOTICE OF CHALLENGE TO APPLICANT. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the registrar shall deliver written notice of the challenge to the applicant not later than the second day after the date of the challenge. (b) The notice must include: (1) the date of the ch…

Sec. 13.076. REQUEST FOR HEARING ON CHALLENGE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), to be entitled to a hearing on a challenge, the applicant must file a written, signed request for a hearing with the registrar not later than the 10th day after the date of the challenge. (b)…

Sec. 13.077. HEARING ON CHALLENGE. (a) On the timely filing or making of a hearing request, the registrar shall schedule a hearing on the challenge. (b) The registrar shall conduct the hearing not later than the 10th day after the date the request is filed or made or at a later d…

Sec. 13.078. NOTICE OF HEARING. (a) The registrar shall deliver to a challenged applicant written notice of the date, hour, and place set for the hearing on the challenge not later than the second day after the date the hearing request is filed or made. (b) This section does not …

Sec. 13.079. DETERMINATION OF CHALLENGE. (a) After hearing and considering the evidence or argument, the registrar shall promptly determine the challenge and issue a decision in writing. (b) If the registrar determines that the applicant is eligible for registration or that the m…

Sec. 13.080. RECORDING REJECTION. On rejection of an applicant's registration application, the registrar shall enter the date of and reason for the rejection on the application. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. SUBCHAPTER D. APPLICATION FILES

Sec. 13.101. ACTIVE APPLICATION FILE. (a) The registrar shall maintain a file containing the approved registration applications of the registered voters of the county. (b) The registrar shall maintain the file in alphabetical order by voter name on a countywide basis. However, th…

Sec. 13.102. INACTIVE APPLICATION FILE. (a) The registrar shall maintain a file containing the rejected applications of applicants for registration. (b) The registrar shall maintain a file, separate from the file maintained under Subsection (a), containing the applications of the…

Sec. 13.103. PLACE FOR KEEPING FILES; SECURITY. (a) The registration application files maintained under this subchapter shall be kept in the registrar's office at all times in a place and manner ensuring their security. (b) Applications may be removed from the registrar's office …

Sec. 13.104. OPTIONAL STORAGE METHOD. (a) Instead of keeping the original registration applications and supporting documentation as required by this title, the registrar may record the applications and documentation on an optical disk or other computer storage medium approved by …

Sec. 13.121. OFFICIAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION BY MAIL. (a) The officially prescribed application form for registration by mail must be in the form of a business reply postcard, unless another form or system is used under Subsection (b), with postage paid by the state. The secretary…

Sec. 13.122. ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS ON OFFICIAL FORM. (a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for entering information that appear on an officially prescribed registration application form, each official form must include: (1) the statement: "I understand that giving fals…

Sec. 13.141. REGISTRATION NUMBER. The secretary of state shall prescribe a uniform system for assigning voter registration numbers. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1105 (H.B. 2280), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2006.

Sec. 13.142. INITIAL REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. (a) After approval of a registration application, the registrar shall: (1) prepare a voter registration certificate and issue the original certificate to the applicant; and (2) enter the applicant's county election precinct number an…

Sec. 13.143. EFFECTIVE DATE OF REGISTRATION; PERIOD OF EFFECTIVENESS. (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (e), if an applicant's registration application is approved, the registration becomes effective on the 30th day after the date the application is submitted to the r…

Sec. 13.144. DELIVERY OF INITIAL CERTIFICATE TO VOTER. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the date the registrar receives the application, the registrar shall deliver the original of an initial certificate: (1) in person to the applicant or the applicant's agent appointed unde…

Sec. 13.145. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF CERTIFICATE. (a) A voter registrar commits an offense if the registrar knowingly delivers a registration certificate to a person other than the applicant or the applicant's agent appointed under Section 13.003. (b) An offense under this section i…

Sec. 13.146. CONFIRMATION NOTICE ON RETURN OF INITIAL CERTIFICATE. (a) If an initial certificate delivered to the applicant by mail is returned to the registrar undelivered, the registrar shall promptly deliver to the applicant a confirmation notice in accordance with Section 15.…