Title EL, Election Code

Sec. 65.013. BALLOT REGISTER. (a) Each presiding judge shall prepare a ballot register as provided by this section. (b) The register must state: (1) the total number of ballots received for conducting voting at the polling place; (2) the number of defectively printed ballots rece…

Sec. 65.014. PREPARING THE PRECINCT RETURNS. (a) On completion of the vote count, the presiding judge shall prepare the returns of the election for the precinct. Text of subsection prior to the amendments made by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1184 (S.B. 2753), Sec. 8, eff. Sept…

Sec. 65.015. ANNOUNCING PARTIAL RESULTS. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), after the polls close and the last voter has voted, the presiding judge may announce the status of the vote count from time to time. (b) The local canvassing authority may require the announcements or prohibi…

Sec. 65.016. INTERNET POSTING OF ELECTION RESULTS. Text of subsection prior to the amendments made by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1184 (S.B. 2753), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2025. Applies to elections ordered before the date the Secretary of State issues the report required b…

Sec. 65.051. DUTY OF EARLY VOTING BALLOT BOARD. (a) The early voting ballot board shall verify and count provisional ballots as provided by this subchapter not later than the ninth day after the date of an election. (a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for an election held on th…

Sec. 65.052. DUTY OF VOTER REGISTRAR. The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures by which the voter registrar of the county in which a provisional ballot is cast shall provide assistance to the early voting ballot board in executing its authority under this subchapter. In …

Sec. 65.053. DELIVERY OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. The presiding judge of an election precinct shall deliver in person to the general custodian of election records the box containing each envelope containing a provisional ballot that was cast in the precinct. The secretary of state sh…

Sec. 65.054. ACCEPTING PROVISIONAL BALLOT. (a) The early voting ballot board shall examine each affidavit executed under Section 63.011 and determine whether to accept the provisional ballot of the voter who executed the affidavit. (b) A provisional ballot shall be accepted if th…

Sec. 65.0541. PRESENTATION OF IDENTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. (a) A voter who is accepted for provisional voting under Section 63.011 because the voter does not meet the identification requirements of Section 63.001(b) may, not later than the sixth day after the d…

Sec. 65.055. DISPOSITION OF ACCEPTED PROVISIONAL BALLOT AND AFFIDAVIT. (a) The early voting ballot board shall open each envelope containing an accepted provisional ballot without defacing the affidavit located on the outside of the envelope and shall remove the ballot. (b) The b…

Sec. 65.056. DISPOSITION OF REJECTED PROVISIONAL BALLOT. (a) If the affidavit on the envelope of a rejected provisional ballot contains the information necessary to enable the person to register to vote under Chapter 13, the voter registrar shall make a copy of the affidavit unde…

Sec. 65.057. PROCESSING ACCEPTED PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. (a) The early voting ballot board shall count accepted provisional ballots as follows: (1) for ballots to be counted manually, in the manner provided by Subchapter D, Chapter 87; (2) for ballots to be counted by automatic tabu…

Sec. 65.058. PRESERVATION OF PROVISIONAL VOTING RECORDS GENERALLY. The returns of provisional ballots that are accepted, the accepted ballots, and other provisional voting records shall be preserved after the election in the same manner as the corresponding precinct election retu…

Sec. 65.0581. PUBLIC INSPECTION OF PROVISIONAL VOTING RECORDS. Provisional voting records are not available for public inspection until the first business day after the date the early voting ballot board completes the verification and counting of provisional ballots under Section…

Sec. 65.059. NOTICE TO PROVISIONAL VOTER. The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to implement a system to allow a person who casts a provisional ballot under Section 63.011 to obtain access free of charge to information on the disposition of the person's ballot. The sy…

Sec. 65.060. DISCLOSURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY, DRIVER'S LICENSE, OR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON PROVISIONAL BALLOT AFFIDAVIT. A social security number, Texas driver's license number, or number of a personal identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety furnishe…

Sec. 66.001. GENERAL CUSTODIAN OF ELECTION RECORDS. The general custodian of election records is: (1) the county clerk of each county wholly or partly situated in the territory covered by the election, for an election ordered by the governor or by a county authority or for a prim…

Sec. 66.002. PRECINCT ELECTION RECORDS. In this chapter, "precinct election records" means the precinct election returns, voted ballots, and other records of an election that are assembled and distributed under this chapter. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 198…

Sec. 66.0021. VOTE TOTAL FOR CERTAIN ELECTIONS. (a) This section applies only to a primary election or the general election for state and county officers. (b) The general custodian of election records for a primary election or the general election for state and county officers sh…

Sec. 66.003. ENVELOPES FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RECORDS. (a) Four envelopes shall be furnished to each polling place for use in assembling and distributing the precinct election records. (b) The envelopes shall be labeled and addressed as follows: (1) "Envelope No. 1," addressed to th…

Sec. 66.004. POLLING PLACE CHECKLISTS. The secretary of state shall adopt rules and create a checklist or similar guidelines to assist the presiding judge of a polling place in processing forms and conducting procedures required by this code at the opening and closing of the poll…

Sec. 66.005. POST ELECTION RECONCILIATION. (a) Not later than the 30th day after election day, the general custodian of election records shall prepare a reconciliation of the total number of votes cast and the total number of voters accepted to vote by personal appearance at each…

Sec. 66.006. PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION OF CERTAIN REPORTS FROM ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO ACCEPT VOTERS. (a) The general custodian of election records for an authority holding an election that uses an electronic device certified under Section 31.014 to accept voters shall prepare a …

Sec. 66.021. ASSEMBLING ELECTION RECORDS. (a) On completing the election returns for the precinct, the presiding judge shall assemble the precinct election records and place them in the appropriate envelopes and ballot boxes for distribution. (b) The judge shall seal envelopes no…

Sec. 66.022. CONTENTS OF ENVELOPE NO. 1. Envelope no. 1 must contain: (1) the original of the election returns for the precinct; and (2) a tally list. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 66.023. CONTENTS OF ENVELOPE NO. 2. Envelope no. 2 must contain: (1) a copy of the precinct returns; (2) a tally list; (3) the original of the poll list; (4) the signature roster; (5) the precinct early voting list; (6) any affidavits completed at the polling place except af…

Sec. 66.024. CONTENTS OF ENVELOPE NO. 3. Envelope no. 3 must contain: (1) a copy of the precinct returns; (2) a copy of the poll list; and (3) a copy of the ballot register. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 66.0241. CONTENTS OF ENVELOPE NO. 4. Envelope no. 4 must contain: (1) the precinct list of registered voters; (2) the registration correction list; (3) any statements of residence executed under Section 63.0011; and (4) any affidavits executed under Section 63.006 or 63.011.…

Sec. 66.025. CONTENTS OF BALLOT BOX NO. 3. (a) Ballot box no. 3 must contain: (1) the voted ballots; (2) a copy of the precinct returns; (3) a tally list; and (4) a copy of the poll list. (b) The copy of the poll list may be placed in a container other than ballot box no. 3 on ap…

Sec. 66.026. CONTENTS OF BALLOT BOX NO. 4. Ballot box no. 4 must contain: (1) the original of the ballot register; (2) the register of spoiled ballots; (3) any spoiled ballots; (4) any ballot to be voted by mail returned at the polling place; (5) any defectively printed ballots; …

Sec. 66.051. DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTION RECORDS. (a) The presiding judge shall deliver envelope no. 1 in person to the presiding officer of the local canvassing authority. If the presiding officer of the local canvassing authority is unavailable, the envelope shall be delivered to …

Sec. 66.052. DELIVERY BY ELECTION CLERK. A delivery of election records or supplies that is to be performed by the presiding judge may be performed by an election clerk designated by the presiding judge. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 66.053. TIME FOR DELIVERING ELECTION RECORDS. (a) The precinct election records shall be delivered to the appropriate authorities immediately after the precinct returns are completed. (b) If the presiding judge determines that the ballots will not be counted in time to allow…

Sec. 66.054. FAILURE TO DELIVER ELECTION RETURNS AND VOTED BALLOTS. (a) An election officer responsible for delivering precinct election returns or voted ballots commits an offense if the officer: (1) fails to make the delivery to the appropriate authority; (2) fails to make the …

Sec. 66.055. JUDICIAL IMPOUNDMENT OF ELECTION RECORDS. (a) If the precinct election records are not delivered by the deadline prescribed by Section 66.053(c), on application by a member of the canvassing authority, a district judge shall order the precinct election records to be …

Sec. 66.056. UNOFFICIAL TABULATION OF PRECINCT RESULTS. (a) As the general custodian of election records receives the precinct election records from each polling place, the custodian shall: (1) open the envelopes and remove the precinct election returns; and (2) prepare a tabulat…

Sec. 66.057. REGULATING PUBLIC INSPECTION OF CERTAIN ELECTION RECORDS. (a) The election returns for a particular precinct that are delivered to the general custodian of election records do not become public information until the custodian completes the unofficial tabulation of th…

Sec. 66.058. PRESERVATION OF PRECINCT ELECTION RECORDS. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this code, the precinct election records shall be preserved by the authority to whom they are distributed for at least 22 months after election day. (b) For a period of at least 60 days af…

Sec. 66.059. RETRIEVING ERRONEOUSLY PLACED ELECTION RECORDS. (a) On written application by the presiding officer of the local canvassing authority or the presiding judge of the election precinct, a district judge of the county in which a ballot box containing voted ballots is in …

Sec. 66.060. DELIVERY AND PRESERVATION OF KEY TO BALLOT BOX NO. 3. (a) The presiding judge shall deliver the key to ballot box no. 3 in person to the following authority: (1) the sheriff, for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority or for a primary election, exc…

Sec. 66.061. CUSTODY OF LIST OF REGISTERED VOTERS TO BE REUSED IN SUBSEQUENT ELECTION. The custodian of a precinct list of registered voters that is to be reused in a subsequent election occurring during the preservation period shall return the list to the authority responsible f…

Sec. 66.062. RETURNING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES. (a) At the same time the precinct election records are delivered, the unused election supplies shall be delivered to the authority responsible for distributing the election supplies. (b) The presiding judge shall follow the direction…

Sec. 67.001. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter applies to each general or special election conducted in this state. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 67.002. CANVASS OF PRECINCT RETURNS. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, the precinct election returns for each election shall be canvassed by the following authority: (1) for an election ordered by the governor or by a county authority, the commissioners court of each …

Sec. 67.003. TIME FOR LOCAL CANVASS. (a) Repealed by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 992 (H.B. 929), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2017. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), each local canvassing authority shall convene to conduct the local canvass at the time set by the canvass…

Sec. 67.004. PROCEDURE FOR LOCAL CANVASS. (a) At the time set for convening the canvassing authority for the local canvass, the presiding officer of the canvassing authority shall deliver the sealed precinct returns to the authority. The authority shall open the returns for each …