ELECTION CODE

TITLE 10. POLITICAL PARTIES

SUBTITLE A. INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS

CHAPTER 161. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 161.001.  INHERENT POWERS.  A political party retains all of its inherent powers except as limited by this code.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 161.002.  PARTY NAME.  (a)  The name of a political party as printed on the ballot for an election may not consist of more than three words.
(b)  A party may not select for its name a name previously assumed by another existing party.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 161.003.  METHODS OF MAKING NOMINATIONS.  A political party may make nominations for public office only by the methods provided by this code.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 161.004.  PARTY DOCUMENT AS PUBLIC INFORMATION.  If a document, record, or other paper is expressly required by this title to be filed, prepared, or preserved, it is public information unless this title provides otherwise.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 161.005.  ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTY OFFICES GENERALLY.  (a)  To be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as an officer of a political party, a person must:
(1)   except as provided by Subsection (c), not be a candidate for nomination or election to, or be the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government; and
(2)  if the office is a county or precinct chair of a political party, be a qualified voter of the county.
(a-1)  For purposes of this section, the following are officers of a political party:
(1)  a precinct chair;
(2)  a county chair; and
(3)  a member, a chair, or a vice chair of a state executive committee of a political party.
(b)  For purposes of this section, a person becomes a candidate at the earliest time at which one of the following occurs:
(1)  the person files:
(A)  a declaration of intent to run as an independent candidate;
(B)  an application for a place on a primary or general election ballot or for nomination by a convention;  or
(C)  a declaration of write-in candidacy;  or
(2)  the person is nominated by a convention or executive committee.
(c)  A candidate for nomination or election to, or the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government is eligible to serve as an officer of a political party to which Chapter 181 applies.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 105, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 576 (S.B. 817), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 810 (H.B. 1987), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.

Sec. 161.006.  HOLDING PRECINCT CONVENTION OF MORE THAN ONE PARTY IN SAME BUILDING.  A political party may not hold a precinct convention in the same building in which another party is holding a precinct convention on the same day unless:
(1)  the rooms in which the conventions are held are separated so that communication from one room to the other is precluded;  and
(2)  a sign in bold print identifying the party holding the convention is posted at the entrance to each room.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 57, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1350, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Sec. 161.007.  UNLAWFULLY PROHIBITING EMPLOYEE FROM ATTENDING POLITICAL CONVENTION.  (a)  A person commits an offense if, with respect to another over whom the person has authority in the scope of employment, the person knowingly:
(1)  refuses to permit the other person to be absent from work for the purpose of attending a precinct convention in which the other person is eligible to participate or attending a county, district, or state convention to which the other person is a delegate;  or
(2)  subjects or threatens to subject the other person to a penalty for the purpose of preventing or retaliating for the other person's attendance at a precinct convention in which the other person is eligible to participate or for the other person's attendance at a county, district, or state convention to which the other person is a delegate.
(b)  In this section, "penalty" means a loss or reduction of wages or other benefit of employment other than a deduction for the actual time of absence from work.
(c)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 106, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Sec. 161.008.  CERTIFICATION OF NOMINEES FOR STATEWIDE AND DISTRICT OFFICES FOR PLACEMENT ON GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the secretary of state shall certify in writing for placement on the general election ballot the name of each candidate nominated at a primary election or convention of a political party for a statewide or district office.
(b)  Not later than the 68th day before general election day, the secretary of state shall deliver the certification to the authority responsible for having the official general election ballot prepared in each county in which the candidate's name is to appear on the ballot.  The secretary of state may deliver the certification by notifying the authority that the candidates posted on the secretary of state's Internet website are the candidates certified.  In addition to the other methods of delivering the certification under this section, the secretary of state shall deliver a copy of the certification to the authority by e-mail.
(c)  A candidate's name may not be certified if, before delivering the certification, the secretary of state learns that the name is to be omitted from the ballot under Section 145.035.
(d)  In conjunction with the certification required under Subsection (a), the secretary of state shall include appropriate ballot translation language, as applicable, for each language certified statewide or in a specific county by the director of the census under 42 U.S.C. Section 1973aa-1a.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1109 (H.B. 2339), Sec. 20, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1014 (H.B. 2477), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1318 (S.B. 100), Sec. 28, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1131 (H.B. 2640), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2019.

Sec. 161.009.  PARTY OFFICER SUBJECT TO MANDAMUS.  The performance of a duty placed by this code on an officer of a political party is enforceable by writ of mandamus in the same manner as if the party officer were a public officer.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.

Sec. 161.010.  CHALLENGING CONVENTION DELEGATES.  A political party holding a convention under this title may provide by rule for challenging the qualifications of the convention delegates and for replacing unqualified delegates.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.