ELECTION CODE

TITLE 6. CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS

CHAPTER 63. ACCEPTING VOTER



Sec. 63.001. REGULAR PROCEDURE FOR ACCEPTING VOTER. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this code, acceptance of voters shall be conducted as provided by this section and Section 63.0011.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (h), on offering to vote, a voter must present to an election officer at the polling place one form of identification described by Section 63.0101.

(c) On presentation of the documentation required under Subsection (b), an election officer shall determine whether the voter's name on the documentation is on the list of registered voters for the precinct. If in making a determination under this subsection the election officer determines under standards adopted by the secretary of state that the voter's name on the documentation is substantially similar to but does not match exactly with the name on the list, the voter shall be accepted for voting under Subsection (d) if the voter submits an affidavit stating that the voter is the person on the list of registered voters.

(d) If, as determined under Subsection (c), the voter's name is on the precinct list of registered voters and the voter's identity can be verified from the documentation presented under Subsection (b), the voter shall be accepted for voting.

(e) On accepting a voter, an election officer shall indicate beside the voter's name on the list of registered voters that the voter is accepted for voting.

(f) After determining whether to accept a voter, an election officer shall return the voter's documentation to the voter.

(g) If the requirements for identification prescribed by Subsection (b) are not met, the voter may be accepted for provisional voting only under Section 63.011. For a voter who is not accepted for voting under this section, an election officer shall:

(1) inform the voter of the voter's right to cast a provisional ballot under Section 63.011; and

(2) provide the voter with written information, in a form prescribed by the secretary of state, that:

(A) lists the requirements for identification;

(B) states the procedure for presenting identification under Section 65.0541;

(C) includes a map showing the location where identification must be presented; and

(D) includes notice that if all procedures are followed and the voter is found to be eligible to vote and is voting in the correct precinct, the voter's provisional ballot will be accepted.

(h) The requirements for identification prescribed by Subsection (b) do not apply to a voter who is disabled and presents the voter's voter registration certificate containing the indication described by Section 15.001(c) on offering to vote.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 797, Sec. 38, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 54, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 9, eff. January 1, 2012.



Sec. 63.0011. STATEMENT OF RESIDENCE REQUIRED. (a) Before a voter may be accepted for voting, an election officer shall ask the voter if the voter's residence address on the precinct list of registered voters is current and whether the voter has changed residence within the county. If the voter's address is omitted from the precinct list under Section 18.005(c), the officer shall ask the voter if the voter's residence, if listed, on identification presented by the voter under Section 63.001(b) is current and whether the voter has changed residence within the county.

(b) If the voter's residence address is not current because the voter has changed residence within the county, the voter may vote, if otherwise eligible, in the election precinct in which the voter is registered if the voter resides in the county in which the voter is registered and, if applicable:

(1) resides in the political subdivision served by the authority ordering the election if the political subdivision is other than the county; or

(2) resides in the territory covered by the election in a less-than-countywide election ordered by the governor or a county authority.

(c) Before being accepted for voting, the voter must execute and submit to an election officer a statement including:

(1) a statement that the voter satisfies the applicable residence requirements prescribed by Subsection (b);

(2) all of the information that a person must include in an application to register to vote under Section 13.002; and

(3) the date the statement is submitted to the election officer.

(d) The voter registrar shall provide to the general custodian of election records a sufficient number of statements of residence for use in each election.

(e) The voter registrar shall retain each statement of residence on file with the voter's voter registration application.

(f) Information included on a statement of residence under Subsection (c)(2) is subject to Section 13.004(c).

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 797, Sec. 39, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 594 (H.B. 41), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 927 (H.B. 3069), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 10, eff. January 1, 2012.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1178 (S.B. 910), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2013.



For expiration of this section, see Subsection (c)

Sec. 63.0012. NOTICE OF IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS TO CERTAIN VOTERS. (a) An election officer shall distribute written notice of the identification that will be required for voting beginning with elections held after January 1, 2012, and information on obtaining identification without a fee under Chapter 521A, Transportation Code, to each voter who, when offering to vote, presents a form of identification that will not be sufficient for acceptance as a voter under this chapter beginning with those elections.

(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the wording of the notice and establish guidelines for distributing the notice.

(c) This section expires September 1, 2017.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2011.



Sec. 63.002. SIGNATURE ROSTER. (a) A signature roster shall be maintained by an election officer at the polling place.

(b) A voter who is accepted for voting must sign the roster before the voter is permitted to vote.

(c) If the voter cannot sign the voter's name, an election officer shall enter the voter's name with a notation of the reason for the voter's inability to sign the roster.

(d) The signature roster may be in the form of an electronic device approved by the secretary of state that is capable of capturing a voter's signature next to the voter's name on the device. The secretary of state shall adopt rules governing the processing of electronic signatures captured under this subsection.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 55, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1000 (H.B. 2373), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.



Sec. 63.003. POLL LIST. (a) A poll list shall be maintained by an election officer at the polling place.

(b) The poll list shall be maintained as an original and two copies.

(c) An election officer shall enter each accepted voter's name on the list after the voter signs the signature roster. The voters' names shall be entered on the poll list in the same order in which they appear on the signature roster.

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



Sec. 63.004. COMBINATION FORM. (a) The secretary of state may prescribe forms that combine the poll list, the signature roster, or any other form used in connection with the acceptance of voters at polling places with each other or with the list of registered voters. The secretary shall prescribe any special instructions necessary for using the combination forms.

(b) The authority responsible for procuring the supplies for an election may furnish combination forms for use at the polling places.

(c) If a combination form is used, it shall be maintained in the number of copies specified by this code for the separate form incorporated into it for which the largest number of copies is required.

(d) An authority procuring lists of registered voters for use in an election may not require the voter registrar to furnish the lists in combination form without the registrar's consent. A registrar may not require an authority requesting the lists to accept them in combination form without the authority's consent.

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



Sec. 63.006. VOTER WITH REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WHO IS NOT ON LIST. (a) A voter who, when offering to vote, presents the documentation required under Section 63.001(b) but whose name is not on the precinct list of registered voters shall be accepted for voting if the voter also presents a voter registration certificate indicating that the voter is currently registered:

(1) in the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote; or

(2) in a different precinct in the same county as the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote and the voter executes an affidavit stating that the voter:

(A) is a resident of the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote or is otherwise entitled by law to vote in that precinct;

(B) was a resident of the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote at the time the information on the voter's residence address was last provided to the voter registrar;

(C) did not deliberately provide false information to secure registration in a precinct in which the voter does not reside; and

(D) is voting only once in the election.

(b) After the voter is accepted, an election officer shall:

(1) indicate beside the voter's name on the poll list that the voter was accepted under this section; and

(2) enter the voter's name on the registration omissions list.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 57, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 12, eff. January 1, 2012.



Sec. 63.009. VOTER WITHOUT CERTIFICATE WHO IS NOT ON LIST. A voter who does not present a voter registration certificate when offering to vote, and whose name is not on the list of registered voters for the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote, shall be accepted for provisional voting if the voter executes an affidavit in accordance with Section 63.011.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan, 1986. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 728, Sec. 14, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1078, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 28, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 26, eff. Jan. 1, 2004.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 13, eff. January 1, 2012.



This section was amended by the 84th Legislature. Pending publication of the current statutes, see H.B. 910, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, for amendments affecting this section.

Sec. 63.0101. DOCUMENTATION OF PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION. The following documentation is an acceptable form of photo identification under this chapter:

(1) a driver's license, election identification certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation;

(2) a United States military identification card that contains the person's photograph that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation;

(3) a United States citizenship certificate issued to the person that contains the person's photograph;

(4) a United States passport issued to the person that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation; or

(5) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1078, Sec. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 30, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 27, eff. Jan. 1, 2004.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 14, eff. January 1, 2012.



Sec. 63.0102. USE OF CERTAIN ELECTRONICALLY READABLE INFORMATION. (a) An election officer may access electronically readable information on a driver's license or personal identification card for proof of identification when determining whether a voter shall be accepted for voting.

(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe any necessary procedures to implement this section.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1189 (H.B. 178), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.



Sec. 63.011. PROVISIONAL VOTING. (a) A person to whom Section 63.001(g) or 63.009 applies may cast a provisional ballot if the person executes an affidavit stating that the person:

(1) is a registered voter in the precinct in which the person seeks to vote; and

(2) is eligible to vote in the election.

(a-1) A person to whom the early voting clerk was required to provide an early voting ballot by mail under Section 86.001 and who did not vote early by mail may cast a provisional ballot on election day if the person executes an affidavit stating that the person:

(1) is a registered voter in the precinct in which the person seeks to vote; and

(2) did not vote early by mail.

(b) A form for an affidavit required by this section must be printed on an envelope in which the provisional ballot voted by the person may be placed and must include:

(1) a space for entering the identification number of the provisional ballot voted by the person; and

(2) a space for an election officer to indicate whether the person presented a form of identification described by Section 63.0101.

(b-1) The affidavit form may include space for disclosure of any necessary information to enable the person to register to vote under Chapter 13. The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of the affidavit under this section.

(c) After executing the affidavit, the person shall be given a provisional ballot for the election. An election officer shall record the number of the ballot on the space provided on the affidavit.

(d) An election officer shall enter "provisional vote" on the poll list beside the name of each voter who is accepted for voting under this section.

(e) A person who is permitted under a state or federal court order to cast a ballot in an election for a federal office after the time allowed by Subchapter B, Chapter 41, must cast the ballot as a provisional vote in the manner required by this section.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 28, eff. Jan. 1, 2004.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1078 (H.B. 2823), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 123 (S.B. 14), Sec. 15, eff. January 1, 2012.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1002 (H.B. 2194), Sec. 9, eff. January 1, 2012.



Sec. 63.012. UNLAWFULLY ACCEPTING OR REFUSING TO ACCEPT VOTER. (a) An election officer commits an offense if the officer knowingly:

(1) permits an ineligible voter to vote other than as provided by Section 63.011; or

(2) refuses to accept a person for voting whose acceptance is required by this code.

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

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1315, Sec. 29, eff. Jan. 1, 2004.