ELECTION CODE

TITLE 2. VOTER QUALIFICATIONS AND REGISTRATION

CHAPTER 18. PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFYING REGISTERED VOTERS



SUBCHAPTER A. REGISTRATION LISTS



Sec. 18.001. ORIGINAL LIST OF REGISTERED VOTERS. (a) Before the beginning of early voting for the first election held in a county in each voting year, the registrar shall prepare for each county election precinct a certified list of the registered voters in the precinct. The list must contain the name of each voter whose registration will be effective on the date of the first election held in the county in the voting year.

(b) On request of the authority responsible for procuring election supplies for an election authorized by law to be held in the county during the voting year for which the lists are prepared, the registrar shall furnish to the authority a list for each county election precinct wholly in the territory covered by the election. On request of the authority for an election in which a county election precinct is partly in the political subdivision or partly in a territorial unit of the political subdivision from which a member of the subdivision's governing body is elected by only the voters residing in that unit, the registrar shall furnish for each partly included county election precinct a list that contains only the names of voters who reside in the political subdivision or territorial unit, as applicable. The request for restricted lists must be accompanied by a description or map of the applicable boundary of the political subdivision or territorial unit that is in sufficient detail to enable the registrar to prepare the requested lists. The request must be delivered early enough to afford the registrar reasonable time to prepare timely lists.

(c) Except as otherwise provided by this code, the list shall be used throughout the voting year.

(d) An additional copy of each list shall be furnished for use in early voting.

(e) In this code, "original list of registered voters" means a list prepared under this section.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 2.32; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 728, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.



Sec. 18.002. SUPPLEMENTAL LIST OF REGISTERED VOTERS. (a) For each election held in the county in a voting year, on request of the authority responsible for procuring election supplies, the registrar shall prepare and furnish to the authority a certified list supplementing each original list furnished to the authority. The list must contain the name of each voter whose registration will be effective on election day but whose name does not appear on the original list.

(b) For a runoff election, as an alternative to the list required by Subsection (a), the registrar may furnish for each county election precinct wholly or partly in the territory covered by the runoff a certified list containing the name of each voter whose registration will be effective on runoff election day but whose name does not appear on the original list or on a list furnished under Subsection (a) for the main election.

(c) An additional copy of each list shall be furnished for use in early voting.

(d) In this code, "supplemental list of registered voters" means a list prepared under this section.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 2.33; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.



Sec. 18.003. REGISTRATION CORRECTION LIST. (a) For each election held in the county in a voting year, the registrar shall prepare and furnish to the authority responsible for procuring election supplies a certified list of corrections.

(b) The list must contain:

(1) the name of each person for whom the information on a list of registered voters furnished under Section 18.001 or 18.002 has changed because of cancellation or correction; and

(2) an indication that the person's registration has been canceled or the corrected registration information.

(c) An additional copy of each list shall be furnished for use in early voting.

(d) In this code, "registration correction list" means a list prepared under this section.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 2.34; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.



Sec. 18.004. REVISED ORIGINAL LIST. (a) As an alternative to furnishing a supplemental list of registered voters and a correction list for an election, the registrar may furnish a certified revised original list.

(b) A revised list must contain the name of each voter whose registration will be effective on election day.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.



Sec. 18.005. FORM AND CONTENTS OF LIST.

(a) Each original and supplemental list of registered voters must:

(1) contain the voter's name, date of birth, and registration number as provided by the statewide computerized voter registration list;

(2) contain the voter's residence address, except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c) or Section 18.0051;

(3) be arranged alphabetically by voter name; and

(4) contain the notation required by Section 15.111.

(b) If the voter's residence has no address, the list must contain a concise description of the location of the voter's residence.

(c) The original or supplemental list of registered voters may not contain the residence address of a voter who is a federal judge, a state judge, or the spouse of a federal judge or state judge, if the voter included an affidavit with the voter's registration application under Section 13.0021 or the registrar received an affidavit submitted under Section 15.0215 before the list was prepared. In this subsection, "federal judge" and "state judge" have the meanings assigned by Section 13.0021.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 436, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 797, Sec. 25, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2004.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 594 (H.B. 41), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1295 (S.B. 74), Sec. 5, eff. June 15, 2007.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 8.001, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 465 (S.B. 281), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2009.



Sec. 18.0051. CONTENTS OF LIST: SUBSTITUTE ADDRESS. An original or supplemental list of registered voters must contain a voter's substitute post office box address designated by the attorney general under Article 56.82(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, for use by the voter in place of the voter's true residential, business, or school address if the voter is eligible for early voting by mail under Section 82.007 and has submitted an early voting ballot application as required by Section 84.0021.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1295 (S.B. 74), Sec. 6, eff. June 15, 2007.



Sec. 18.006. DELIVERY OF LISTS TO ELECTION AUTHORITIES. The registrar shall deliver the lists furnished under this subchapter, including the lists furnished under Section 18.007, to the appropriate authority as soon as practicable after the request but in every case in time for receipt before the beginning of early voting by mail for the election in which the lists are to be used. If those lists do not contain the names of all voters who will be eligible to vote as of the beginning of early voting by personal appearance, another set of the appropriate lists shall be delivered before the beginning of early voting by personal appearance. If those lists do not contain the names of all voters whose registrations will be effective on election day, another set of the appropriate lists shall be delivered as soon as practicable after the registrar has processed the remaining applications.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 436, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 501, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 203, Sec. 2.35; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 554, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 916, Sec. 14, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.



Sec. 18.007. LISTS FURNISHED FOR PRECINCT CONVENTIONS. In a voting year in which a political party holds precinct conventions in the county under Title 10, the registrar, on request of the party's county chair, shall furnish to the chair for use in qualifying individuals for participation in the conventions one of each of the original, supplemental, and correction lists prescribed by this subchapter.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 11, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.



Sec. 18.008. COPIES FURNISHED ON REQUEST. (a) The registrar shall furnish a copy of any list prepared under this subchapter to any person requesting it. The copy shall be furnished without the names of voters whose names appear on a list with the notation "S", or a similar notation, if requested in that form.

(b) The list shall be furnished as soon as practicable after the request but not later than the 15th day after the date the registrar receives the request or completes preparation of the list from which the copy is to be made, whichever is later.

(c) If the list is recorded on magnetic tape, the copy shall be furnished in the form of a tape or printout, as requested.

(d) The copy must be accompanied by a written notice of the criminal penalty prescribed by Section 18.009.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 916, Sec. 15, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 797, Sec. 26, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.



Sec. 18.009. UNLAWFUL USE OF INFORMATION ON REGISTRATION LIST. (a) A person commits an offense if the person uses information in connection with advertising or promoting commercial products or services that the person knows was obtained under Section 18.008.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 12, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.



Sec. 18.010. FEES. (a) The registrar may not charge a fee for furnishing lists required to be furnished under this subchapter except as authorized by this section.

(b) The fee for each list furnished under Section 18.008 may not exceed the actual expense incurred in reproducing the list for the person requesting it and shall be uniform for each type of copy furnished.

(c) The registrar shall use fees collected under this section to defray expenses incurred in the preparation of the copy.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.



Sec. 18.011. FILE OF LISTS FOR COUNTYWIDE ELECTION. (a) The registrar shall maintain a file containing one of each of the lists prepared under this subchapter for each countywide election.

(b) The registrar shall retain each list on file for two years after election day except a list used in a presidential election, which shall be retained for four years after election day.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.



Sec. 18.012. SECRETARY OF STATE TO APPROVE COMPUTER SERVICES CONTRACTS. (a) A county may not contract with a computer service company or other private business entity for services related to the lists required under this subchapter unless the programs, equipment, or other materials to be covered by the contract are approved by the secretary of state. The secretary may rescind approval of the programs, equipment, or other materials at any time, and on that action the contract is nullified to the extent that it depends on the disapproved items.

(b) A computer service company or other private business entity may not use modified programs, equipment, or other materials under the contract unless the modifications are approved by the secretary of state.

(c) A person commits an offense if the person violates Subsection (b). An offense under this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 916, Sec. 16, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.



Sec. 18.0121. CONTRACT TO INVESTIGATE VOTER ELIGIBILITY. A list of potentially ineligible voters produced for a county by a private business entity may not be made available to the public or otherwise used by the registrar unless the registrar has verified the accuracy of the information on the list through available public records.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 555, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.



Sec. 18.013. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION LIST IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) On the written request of any resident of a political subdivision of which more than one-half of the political subdivision's territory is situated in a county with a population of 25,000 or less, the registrar of a county in which the political subdivision is wholly or partly situated shall prepare and furnish to the person a list containing the registered voters of that county who reside in the political subdivision or, if requested, who reside in a territorial unit of the political subdivision from which a member of the subdivision's governing body is elected by only the voters residing in the territorial unit.

(b) A request under Subsection (a) must be accompanied by a description or map, if a map is available, of the boundary of the political subdivision or territorial unit. The boundary information must be of sufficient detail to enable the registrar to prepare the requested list.

(c) The list must contain the name of each voter whose registration is effective on the date the list is furnished and must comply with the requirements as to form and content prescribed by Section 18.005.

(d) The list shall be furnished as soon as practicable after the request but not later than the 30th day after the date the registrar receives the request and boundary description or map.

(e) The registrar may charge a fee for the list not to exceed the actual expense incurred in preparing the list. The fees shall be used to defray expenses incurred in preparing the lists.

(f) Section 18.009 applies to the use of information obtained under Subsection (a).

(g) Except as provided by this section, this subchapter does not apply to a list furnished under this section.

Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 517, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.



SUBCHAPTER B. REGISTRATION STATEMENTS



Sec. 18.043. STATEMENT REQUIRED UNDER FEDERAL LAW. (a) At the times prescribed by the secretary of state, the registrar shall deliver to the secretary a statement containing the voter registration information determined by the secretary to be necessary to comply with reporting requirements prescribed under federal law.

(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form, content, and procedure for each statement required under this section.

(c) The registrar shall maintain the information required for the statements in accordance with procedures prescribed by the secretary of state.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 797, Sec. 29, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.



SUBCHAPTER C. STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST



Sec. 18.061. STATEWIDE COMPUTERIZED VOTER REGISTRATION LIST. (a) The secretary of state shall implement and maintain a statewide computerized voter registration list that serves as the single system for storing and managing the official list of registered voters in the state.

(b) The statewide computerized voter registration list must:

(1) contain the name and registration information of each voter registered in the state;

(2) assign a unique identifier to each registered voter; and

(3) be available to any election official in the state through immediate electronic access.

(c) Under procedures prescribed by the secretary of state, each voter registrar shall provide to the secretary of state on an expedited basis the information necessary to maintain the registration list established under Subsection (a). The procedures shall provide for the electronic submission of the information.

(d) The secretary of state may contract with counties to provide them with electronic data services to facilitate the implementation of the statewide computerized voter registration list. The secretary shall use funds collected under the contracts to defray expenses incurred in implementing the statewide computerized voter registration list.

(e) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to ensure that when a voter registers in another county, as determined under Section 16.031(a)(6), the statewide computerized voter registration list is updated to reflect the voter's registration in the new county.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 6, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1105 (H.B. 2280), Sec. 7, eff. January 1, 2006.



Sec. 18.064. SANCTION FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. If a registrar fails to substantially comply with Section 15.083, 16.032, or 18.061 or with rules adopted by the secretary of state implementing the statewide computerized voter registration list, the registrar is not entitled to receive state funds for financing voter registration in the county.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 114, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 916, Sec. 19, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 7, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1164 (H.B. 2817), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.



Sec. 18.065. SECRETARY OF STATE TO MONITOR REGISTRAR'S COMPLIANCE. (a) The secretary of state shall monitor each registrar for substantial compliance with Sections 15.083, 16.032, and 18.061 and with rules implementing the statewide computerized voter registration list.

(b) On determining that a registrar is not in substantial compliance, the secretary shall deliver written notice of the noncompliance to the registrar and include in the notice a description of the violation and an explanation of the action necessary for substantial compliance and of the consequences of noncompliance.

(c) On determining that a noncomplying registrar has corrected the violation and is in substantial compliance, the secretary shall deliver written notice to the registrar that the registrar is in substantial compliance.

(d) The secretary shall retain a copy of each notice the secretary delivers under this section for two years after the date the notice is delivered.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 114, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 916, Sec. 20, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 8, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1164 (H.B. 2817), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 (S.B. 1), Sec. 15.01, eff. September 28, 2011.



Sec. 18.066. AVAILABILITY OF STATEWIDE COMPUTERIZED VOTER REGISTRATION LIST INFORMATION. (a) The secretary of state shall furnish information in the statewide computerized voter registration list to any person on request not later than the 15th day after the date the request is received.

(b) Information furnished under this section may not include:

(1) a voter's social security number; or

(2) the residence address of a voter who is a federal judge or state judge, as defined by Section 13.0021, or the spouse of a federal judge or state judge, if the voter included an affidavit with the voter's registration application under Section 13.0021 or the applicable registrar has received an affidavit submitted under Section 15.0215.

(c) The secretary shall furnish the information in the form and order in which it is stored or if practicable in any other form or order requested.

(d) To receive information under this section, a person must submit an affidavit to the secretary stating that the person will not use the information obtained in connection with advertising or promoting commercial products or services.

(e) The secretary may prescribe a schedule of fees for furnishing information under this section. A fee may not exceed the actual expense incurred in reproducing the information requested.

(f) The secretary shall use fees collected under this section to defray expenses incurred in the furnishing of the information.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 9, 10, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 594 (H.B. 41), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 465 (S.B. 281), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2009.



Sec. 18.067. UNLAWFUL USE OF STATEWIDE COMPUTERIZED VOTER REGISTRATION LIST. (a) A person commits an offense if the person uses information in connection with advertising or promoting commercial products or services that the person knows was obtained under Section 18.066.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 13, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 11, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.



Sec. 18.068. COMPARISON OF INFORMATION REGARDING INELIGIBILITY. (a) The secretary of state shall quarterly compare the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized voter registration list. If the secretary determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary.

(b) The secretary of state shall by rule determine what information combinations identified as common to a voter and to an individual who is deceased constitute a weak match or a strong match in order to:

(1) produce the least possible impact on Texas voters; and

(2) fulfill its responsibility to manage the voter rolls.

(c) The secretary of state may not determine that a voter is deceased based on a weak match. The secretary of state may inform the county of the voter's residence that a weak match exists.

(d) On receiving notification from the secretary of state under Subsection (c) that a weak match of identifying information exists for a county voter and an individual who is deceased, the county shall investigate whether the voter is the individual who is deceased.

(e) The secretary of state may determine that a voter is deceased based on a strong match.

(f) The secretary of state may obtain, for purposes of determining whether a voter is deceased, information from other state agency databases relating to a voter that is the same type of information that the secretary of state or a voter registrar collects or stores for voter registration purposes.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 683 (H.B. 174), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2011.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1093 (H.B. 3593), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013.



This section was amended by the 84th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 2050, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting this section.

Sec. 18.069. VOTING HISTORY. Not later than the 30th day after the date of the primary, runoff primary, or general election or any special election ordered by the governor, the registrar shall electronically submit to the secretary of state the record of each voter participating in the election.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1164 (H.B. 2817), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2011.

Redesignated from Election Code, Section 18.068 by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 22.001(14), eff. September 1, 2013.