Title EL, Election Code

Sec. 125.009. TRAINING POLLING PLACE PERSONNEL. The authority adopting a voting system shall provide the election officers serving the polling places at which the voting system is used with the instruction and training necessary for the proper operation of the voting system. Acts…

Sec. 125.010. PRESENCE OF VOTING SYSTEM TECHNICIAN AUTHORIZED. (a) In this section, "voting system technician" means a person who as a vocation repairs, assembles, maintains, or operates voting system equipment. (b) On the request of the authority holding the election, a voting s…

Sec. 125.061. INSPECTING EQUIPMENT AT POLLING PLACE. (a) Before opening a polling place for voting on election day, the presiding judge shall inspect any electronic voting system equipment installed at the polling place to determine whether it is installed and functioning properl…

Sec. 125.0611. PROVIDING SEPARATE BALLOT PART FOR WRITE-IN VOTING. (a) If an electronic system ballot includes a separate write-in part under Section 124.064, that part shall be provided with the electronic system ballot. (b) A voter may not be required to request the separate wr…

Sec. 125.062. ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE TO ROTATING BALLOT BOXES. The secretary of state may prescribe an alternative procedure to that of using two ballot boxes on a rotating basis at a polling place using an electronic voting system if the secretary determines that an alternative p…

Sec. 125.063. SECURING EQUIPMENT ON CLOSE OF VOTING. On the close of voting at each polling place at which electronic voting system equipment is used, an election officer shall secure or inactivate the equipment as prescribed by the secretary of state so that its unauthorized ope…

Sec. 125.0635. POLLING PLACE REPORT FOR VOTING FOR CERTAIN ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS. (a) This section only applies to a polling place that requires a voter's ballot to be scanned at the polling place with an optical scanner. (b) Immediately after closing the polling place at the…

Sec. 125.064. RECORDS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION. Any documents or records used in the preparation of or prepared for use in an electronic voting system for the operation of the system for a particular election and any documents or records generated by the system in that ele…

Sec. 127.001. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL COUNTING STATION. (a) The authority adopting an electronic voting system for use in an election may establish, in accordance with this subchapter, one or more central counting stations for counting the ballots if the voting system is designe…

Sec. 127.0015. CENTRAL COUNTING STATION OFFICERS: OATH AND IDENTIFICATION. (a) Election officers appointed under this subchapter shall repeat the following oath aloud: "I swear (or affirm) that I will objectively work to be sure every eligible voter's vote is accepted and counted…

Sec. 127.002. COUNTING STATION MANAGER. (a) The authority establishing a central counting station shall appoint a manager of the station. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the eligibility requirements prescribed by this code for precinct election judges apply to a per…

Sec. 127.003. TABULATION SUPERVISOR. (a) The authority establishing a central counting station shall appoint a tabulation supervisor of the station. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the eligibility requirements prescribed by this code for precinct election judges app…

Sec. 127.004. ASSISTANTS TO TABULATION SUPERVISOR. (a) The tabulation supervisor may appoint one or more assistants, each of whom must be approved by the authority establishing the central counting station. (b) To be eligible for appointment, a person must: (1) have the competenc…

Sec. 127.005. PRESIDING JUDGE OF COUNTING STATION. (a) The authority appointing the presiding judges to serve in an election shall appoint a presiding judge of each central counting station operating in the election. (b) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the eligibili…

Sec. 127.006. COUNTING STATION CLERKS. (a) The manager, the presiding judge, and the alternate presiding judge may appoint clerks to serve at the central counting station. (b) Except as otherwise provided by this section, the eligibility requirements prescribed by this code for p…

Sec. 127.007. PLAN FOR COUNTING STATION OPERATION. (a) The manager shall establish and implement a written plan for the orderly operation of the central counting station. (b) The plan required under this section must address the process for comparing the number of voters who sign…

Sec. 127.008. BYSTANDERS EXCLUDED. (a) Except as permitted by this code and as described by Subsection (b), a person may not be in a central counting station while ballots are being counted. (b) Under this code, a person may be lawfully present in the central counting station whi…

Sec. 127.009. ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CENTRAL COUNTING STATION. (a) A counting station manager and the presiding judge of the counting station shall develop a protocol under which any electronic device inside a central counting station that is necessary to count votes is equipped w…

Sec. 127.010. TRAINING. The secretary of state shall provide a standardized training program and materials for members of a counting station in the same manner it provides such a program under Subchapter F, Chapter 32. Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 415 (H.B. 1632), Sec…

Sec. 127.061. SEALED BALLOT BOXES REQUIRED. Sealed ballot boxes shall be used to deliver electronic system ballots from the polling place to the central counting station in accordance with this subchapter. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts …

Sec. 127.063. DESIGN OF BALLOT BOX. A sealed ballot box used under this subchapter must be equipped with a lock to prevent opening the box without a key and designed and constructed so that: (1) the ballots can be deposited and delivered without damage that will render them unfit…

Sec. 127.064. SEALS FOR BALLOT BOXES. (a) A seal shall be provided for each ballot box used under this subchapter. (b) The seals for the boxes must be serially numbered for each election. (c) The authority responsible for distributing election supplies to the polling places shall…

Sec. 127.065. SEALING BALLOT BOX; DELIVERY TO POLLING PLACE. (a) An adequate number of sealed ballot boxes shall be provided for each polling place at which sealed boxes are to be used. (b) Before the ballot boxes are delivered to the polling places, the authority responsible for…

Sec. 127.066. SEALING DEPOSIT SLOT; DELIVERY OF SEALED BALLOT BOX TO COUNTING STATION. (a) Immediately on completion of voting at a polling place using sealed ballot boxes or, if the presiding judge inactivates a sealed ballot box before completion of voting, immediately on inact…

Sec. 127.067. DISPOSITION OF ELECTION RECORDS. (a) An election officer shall place the precinct election records in the appropriate envelopes or other containers provided for that purpose. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the precinct election records shall be delivered …

Sec. 127.068. RECEIVING SEALED BALLOT BOX AT COUNTING STATION. (a) On receipt of a sealed ballot box, the presiding judge of the central counting station or the judge's designee shall give a signed receipt for the box to one of the delivering officers. The presiding judge at the …

Sec. 127.069. SORTING BALLOTS. (a) After opening a sealed ballot box, the presiding judge of the central counting station shall sort the damaged ballots, the ballots containing write-in votes, and any other ballots requiring special handling and place them in the appropriate enve…

Sec. 127.091. TEST OF TABULATING EQUIPMENT REQUIRED. The automatic tabulating equipment used for counting ballots in an election shall be tested as provided by this subchapter. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by: Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1…

Sec. 127.092. TESTING AUTHORITIES. (a) The general custodian of election records and the testing board for the public test of logic and accuracy conducted under Section 129.023 shall prepare and conduct the first test of automatic tabulating equipment used at a central counting s…

Sec. 127.093. TIMES FOR CONDUCTING TEST. (a) The automatic tabulating equipment used in a central counting station shall be tested for each election as provided by this subchapter. (b) The first test of automatic tabulating equipment used in a central counting station and the tes…

Sec. 127.094. DESIGN OF TEST. (a) The test must be designed to determine whether the automatic tabulating equipment accurately counts ballots and otherwise functions properly. (b) A group of test ballots shall be counted with the equipment using the program prepared for processin…

Sec. 127.095. DETERMINING SUCCESS OF TEST. (a) A test is successful if a perfect count of the test ballots is obtained and the automatic tabulating equipment otherwise functions properly during the counting of the test ballots. (b) The testing authorities shall determine whether …

Sec. 127.096. CONDUCT OF FIRST TEST. (a) The general custodian of election records shall conduct the first test of automatic tabulating equipment used in a central counting station and the test of automatic tabulating equipment used at a polling place in conjunction with the test…

Sec. 127.097. CONDUCT OF SECOND TEST. (a) The automatic tabulating equipment may not be used to count ballots voted in the election until a test conducted under Section 127.093(c) is successful. (b) If the initial test is unsuccessful, the presiding judge shall prepare a written …

Sec. 127.098. CONDUCT OF THIRD TEST; VOID BALLOT COUNT. (a) If the initial test conducted under Section 127.093(d) is unsuccessful, the count of ballots voted in the election obtained with the automatic tabulating equipment is void. (b) If the initial test is successful, the auto…

Sec. 127.099. SECURITY OF TEST MATERIALS. (a) On completing the first test of automatic tabulating equipment used in a central counting station and the test of automatic tabulating equipment used at a polling place, the general custodian of election records shall place the test b…

Sec. 127.100. CUSTODY OF TEST MATERIALS. (a) The general custodian of election records is the custodian of the test materials following the completion of the first test of automatic tabulating equipment used in a central counting station and the test of automatic tabulating equip…

Sec. 127.121. PROGRAMMER FOR TABULATING EQUIPMENT. (a) If the automatic tabulating equipment to be used for counting ballots at a central counting station requires the preparation of a program, the authority responsible for having the ballot prepared for the election shall appoin…

Sec. 127.122. APPROVAL OF PROGRAM. If a person other than the tabulation supervisor is appointed as the programmer, the program shall be submitted to the tabulation supervisor for approval not later than the 10th day before the date the automatic tabulating equipment for which th…

Sec. 127.123. SECURITY OF PROGRAM. (a) The tabulation supervisor shall protect the program prepared for the automatic tabulating equipment installed at the central counting station from tampering and unauthorized use, as prescribed by the secretary of state. (b) After the automat…

Sec. 127.1231. SECURITY OF AUTOMATIC TABULATING EQUIPMENT. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the general custodian of election records shall ensure that any computer terminals located outside the central counting station that are capable of accessing the automatic tabulat…

Sec. 127.1232. SECURITY OF VOTED BALLOTS. (a) The general custodian of election records shall post a licensed peace officer to ensure the security of ballot boxes containing voted ballots throughout the period of tabulation at the central counting station. (b) The general custodi…

Sec. 127.124. EARLY PROCESSING OF BALLOTS. (a) The authority adopting an electronic voting system for use in an election in which ballots are processed at a central counting station may provide by resolution, order, or other official action that processing the electronic system b…

Sec. 127.125. PREPARING BALLOTS FOR AUTOMATIC COUNTING. (a) The manager of a central counting station shall have the ballots prepared for automatic counting. (b) The manager shall have the ballots examined to detect any irregularly marked ballots and to determine whether the ball…

Sec. 127.126. DUPLICATING BALLOTS. (a) The manager of a central counting station may have ballots duplicated for automatic counting as provided by this section. (b) The valid portion of a partially invalid ballot may be duplicated on another ballot so that the valid portion can b…

Sec. 127.127. OPERATING EQUIPMENT AND HANDLING BALLOTS RESTRICTED. A person other than the tabulation supervisor and the assistants to the tabulation supervisor may not operate the automatic tabulating equipment or handle the ballots that are automatically counted from the time t…