ELECTION CODE

TITLE 9. CANDIDATES

CHAPTER 144. CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OTHER THAN COUNTY OR CITY

Sec. 144.001.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.  This chapter applies to a candidate for an office of a political subdivision other than a city or county.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 144.002.  INDEPENDENT CANDIDACY REQUIRED.  A candidate's name may appear on the ballot only as an independent.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 144.003.  APPLICATION REQUIRED.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided by law, to be entitled to a place on the ballot, a candidate must make an application for a place on the ballot.  An application, other than an application required to be accompanied by fee, may be filed through e-mail transmission of the completed application in a scanned format to the e-mail address designated by the filing authority in the notice required under Section 141.040.
(b)  If a law outside this code purports to prescribe the exclusive requirements that a candidate's application must satisfy for the candidate's name to be placed on the ballot,  Section 141.031(a)(4)(L) also applies to the application.  The other provisions of  Section 141.031 do not apply.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 427, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.
Amended by: 
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 614 (H.B. 417), Sec. 31, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 711 (H.B. 3107), Sec. 84, eff. September 1, 2021.

Sec. 144.004.  AUTHORITY WITH WHOM APPLICATION FILED.  Except as otherwise provided by law, an application for a place on the ballot must be filed with the secretary of the political subdivision's governing body or, if the governing body has no secretary, with the governing body's presiding officer.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 144.005.  FILING DEADLINE.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), an application for a place on the ballot must be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the 62nd day before election day.  Notwithstanding any other law outside this code, an application may not be filed earlier than the 30th day before the date of the filing deadline.
(b)  Except as otherwise provided by law, an application filed by mail is considered to be filed at the time of its receipt by the appropriate authority.
(c)  The governing body of a political subdivision for which a deadline for filing for candidacy is prescribed by a law outside this code shall take appropriate action to comply with Subsections (a) and (d) and to adjust any affected date, deadline, or procedure to allow the same interval of time in relation to the filing deadline as would be provided by application of the other law.  The secretary of state shall prescribe any rules necessary to facilitate the implementation of this subsection.
(d)  For an election to be held on a uniform election date, the day of the filing deadline is the 78th day before election day.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 925, Sec. 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1109 (H.B. 2339), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1318 (S.B. 100), Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1178 (S.B. 910), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 84 (S.B. 1703), Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2015.

Sec. 144.006.  FILING DEADLINE FOR DECLARED WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided by law, a declaration of write-in candidacy must be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the fifth day after the date an application for a place on the ballot is required to be filed in an election in which:
(1)  the filing deadline for an application for a place on the ballot is the 62nd day before election day; and
(2)  write-in votes may be counted only for names appearing on a list of declared write-in candidates.
(b)  For an election to be held on a uniform election date, the day of the filing deadline is the 74th day before election day.
(c)  A write-in candidate may not withdraw from the election after the 71st day before election day.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1316, Sec. 35, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1109 (H.B. 2339), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1318 (S.B. 100), Sec. 19, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 84 (S.B. 1703), Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2015.