Title EL, Election Code

Sec. 33.003. APPOINTMENT BY POLITICAL PARTY. (a) The county chair of each political party that has one or more nominees on the ballot may appoint watchers. (b) If the county chair does not make an authorized appointment, any three members of the county executive committee may mak…

Sec. 33.004. APPOINTMENT FOR WRITE-IN CANDIDATE. (a) A group of registered voters may appoint watchers on behalf of a write-in candidate in an election in which a declaration of write-in candidacy is not required to be filed. (b) To be eligible to participate in the appointment u…

Sec. 33.005. APPOINTMENT FOR ELECTION ON MEASURE. (a) In an election on a measure, watchers may be appointed by the campaign treasurer or an assistant campaign treasurer of a specific-purpose political committee that supports or opposes the measure. (b) This section does not appl…

Sec. 33.006. CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT. (a) For an appointment of a watcher to be effective, the appointing authority must issue a certificate of appointment to the appointee. (b) A certificate of appointment must: (1) be in writing and signed by the appointing authority or, for…

Sec. 33.007. NUMBER AND PLACE OF SERVICE OF WATCHERS. (a) Each appointing authority may appoint not more than two watchers for each precinct polling place, meeting place for an early voting ballot board, or central counting station involved in the election. (b) Each appointing au…

Sec. 33.008. TRAINING PROGRAM. The secretary of state shall develop and maintain a training program for watchers. The training program must: (1) be available: (A) entirely via the Internet; and (B) at any time, without a requirement for prior registration; and (2) provide a watch…

Sec. 33.031. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. (a) To be eligible to serve as a watcher, a person must be a qualified voter: (1) of the county in which the person is to serve, in an election ordered by the governor or a county authority or in a primary election; (2) of the part o…

Sec. 33.032. INELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. (a) A person is ineligible to serve as a watcher in an election if the person is a candidate for a public office in an election to be held on the same day. (b) In this section, "candidate" means a person who has taken aff…

Sec. 33.033. INELIGIBILITY OF EMPLOYEE OR RELATIVE OF ELECTION OFFICER. (a) A person is ineligible to serve as a watcher at a particular location if the person is the employer of or is employed by or related within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity, as determined und…

Sec. 33.034. INELIGIBILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICER. (a) A person who holds an elective public office is ineligible to serve as a watcher in an election. (b) For purposes of this section, a deputy or assistant serving under a public officer does not hold a public office. Acts 1985, 69th…

Sec. 33.035. INELIGIBILITY OF PERSON CONVICTED OF CERTAIN OFFENSES. A person is ineligible to serve as a watcher in an election if the person has been finally convicted of a felony: (1) of the first or second degree; or (2) in connection with conduct directly attributable to an e…

Sec. 33.051. ACCEPTANCE OF WATCHER. (a) A watcher appointed to serve at a precinct polling place, a meeting place for an early voting ballot board, or a central counting station must deliver the following materials to the presiding judge at the time the watcher reports for servic…

Sec. 33.052. HOURS OF SERVICE AT PRECINCT POLLING PLACE. A watcher at a precinct polling place may begin service at any time after the presiding judge arrives at the polling place on election day and may remain at the polling place until the presiding judge and the clerks complet…

Sec. 33.053. HOURS OF SERVICE AT EARLY VOTING POLLING PLACE. A watcher serving at an early voting polling place may be present at the polling place at any time it is open and until completion of the securing of any voting equipment used at the polling place that is required to be…

Sec. 33.054. HOURS OF SERVICE AT EARLY VOTING BALLOT BOARD MEETING OR SIGNATURE VERIFICATION COMMITTEE MEETING. (a) A watcher serving at the meeting place of an early voting ballot board or signature verification committee may be present at any time the board or committee is proc…

Sec. 33.055. HOURS OF SERVICE AT CENTRAL COUNTING STATION. (a) A watcher serving at a central counting station may be present at any time the station is open for the purpose of processing or preparing to process election results and until the election officers complete their duti…

Sec. 33.056. OBSERVING ACTIVITY GENERALLY. (a) Except as provided by Section 33.057, a watcher is entitled to observe any activity conducted at the location at which the watcher is serving. A watcher is entitled to sit or stand near enough to see and hear the election officers co…

Sec. 33.057. OBSERVING PREPARATION OF VOTER'S BALLOT. (a) A watcher is entitled to be present at the voting station when a voter is being assisted by an election officer, and the watcher is entitled to examine the ballot before it is deposited in the ballot box to determine wheth…

Sec. 33.058. RESTRICTIONS ON WATCHER'S ACTIVITIES. (a) While on duty, a watcher may not: (1) converse with an election officer regarding the election, except to call attention to an irregularity or violation of law; (2) converse with a voter; or (3) communicate in any manner with…

Sec. 33.059. OBSERVING SECURING OF VOTING SYSTEM EQUIPMENT BEFORE ELECTION. (a) A watcher appointed to serve at a polling place in an election using voting system equipment that is required to be delivered to the polling place in a secured condition is entitled to observe the ins…

Sec. 33.060. OBSERVING DELIVERY OF ELECTION RECORDS. (a) On request of a watcher, an election officer who delivers election records from a precinct polling place, an early voting polling place, a meeting place for an early voting ballot board, or a central counting station shall …

Sec. 33.0605. OBSERVING DATA STORAGE SEALING AND TRANSFER. (a) A watcher appointed to serve at a polling place in an election who is available at the time of the action may observe all election activities relating to closing the polling place, including the sealing and transfer o…

Sec. 33.061. UNLAWFULLY OBSTRUCTING WATCHER. (a) A person commits an offense if the person serves in an official capacity at a location at which the presence of watchers is authorized and knowingly prevents a watcher from observing an activity or procedure the person knows the wa…

Sec. 33.063. RELIEF. The appointing authority for a watcher who believes that the watcher was unlawfully prevented or obstructed from the performance of the watcher's duties may seek: (1) injunctive relief under Section 273.081, including issuance of temporary orders; (2) a writ …