Texas Election Code — Full Text

The Texas Election Code is the official state law that sets the rules for every election in Texas. It covers who can vote, how to register, where to vote, and how campaigns must report their spending. Whether you are a voter, a candidate, or an election worker, this is the rulebook that governs the process.

The Texas Election Code is organized into titles and chapters. Each section covers a specific part of the election process. Key topics include: voter qualifications and how to register; polling place rules and election dates; early voting and curbside voting for voters with disabilities; how ballots are prepared and counted; primary elections and political party rules; campaign finance and political advertising requirements; and what counts as an election offense. The Texas Legislature's Office of the Legislative Counsel publishes and maintains the full text. It is updated within a few weeks after each legislative session ends.

You do not need a law degree to use this resource. Search for a keyword — like 'curbside voting' or 'early voting' — to jump straight to the section you need. If you have a question about your rights at the polls, look up the relevant chapter before Election Day. If you are a candidate or campaign volunteer, the campaign finance and political advertising chapters explain your reporting requirements in plain statutory language. The Texas Secretary of State's office also points to this code as its primary legal authority, so what you read here is the real, current law.

No fixed date

Not location-specific

The Texas Secretary of State's office uses this code as the legal foundation for all election administration guidance it issues. Local county election officials in Harris County and across the state are also bound by these same rules, so the code connects directly to how your neighborhood polling place is run.

Texas elections follow one consistent set of rules — and this code is where those rules live. Knowing what the law actually says helps you protect your own voting rights, understand what election workers can and cannot do, and hold candidates and campaigns accountable. It is free to read and belongs to every Texan.