REGULATING PARTICIPATION IN PARTY AFFAIRS

Tex. ELEC Code ch. 162

in effect

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.001. AFFILIATION WITH PARTY REQUIRED.

(a) A person must be affiliated with a political party to be eligible: (1) to serve as a delegate to or otherwise participate in a convention held by the party under this code; (2) to be elected as a member of or be appointed to fill a vacancy on a state executive committee; (3) to be appointed to fill a vacancy on a county executive committee; or (4) for any other purpose within the party as adopted by state party rules. (b) The affiliation requirement prescribed by Subsections (a)(2) and (3) applies only during a voting year in which the general election for state and county officers is held and does not apply until: (1) general primary election day, for a party holding a primary election; or (2) the date of the precinct conventions held under this title, for a party nominating by convention. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 3102 ), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.002. ELIGIBILITY TO AFFILIATE.

To be eligible to affiliate with a political party, a person must be: (1) a registered voter; or (2) eligible to vote a limited ballot at the time of affiliating.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.003. AFFILIATION BY VOTING IN PRIMARY.

A person becomes affiliated with a political party when the person: (1) is accepted to vote in the party's primary election; or (2) returns an early voting or limited primary ballot voted by mail.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.004. AFFILIATION PROCEDURE: VOTING AT POLLING PLACE.

(a) The signature roster for a primary election must state at the top of each page: "A person commits a criminal offense if the person knowingly votes in a primary election or participates in a convention of a party after having voted in a primary election or participated in a convention of another party during the same voting year." (a-1) An election officer shall stamp a voter registration certificate with a party affiliation under Subsection (b) or provide an affiliation certificate under Subsection (c) unless, not later than the 90th day before the date of the primary election, the county chair notifies the county clerk that the chair does not require a stamped voter registration certificate or affiliation certificate for verification of attendance at a precinct convention. (b) Subject to Subsection (a-1), an election officer at a primary election polling place shall stamp the party's name in the party affiliation space of the registration certificate of each voter who presents the voter's registration certificate and is accepted to vote unless the party name has already been stamped in the space. (c) Subject to Subsection (a-1), if a voter is accepted to vote without presenting a registration certificate, the presiding judge shall issue the voter an affiliation certificate. The certificate is not required to be issued to a voter in a runoff primary unless the voter requests it. The affiliation certificate may be combined with the notice provided under Section 172.1114 . If the combined form is used, an election officer is not required to comply with Subsection (b).

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.005. AFFILIATION PROCEDURE: EARLY VOTING BY MAIL.

Subject to Section 162.004 (a-1), the early voting clerk in a general primary election shall provide an affiliation certificate with each early voting or limited ballot to be voted by mail. The certificate is not required to be provided to an applicant for a runoff primary ballot unless the applicant requests it.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.006. AFFILIATION BY TAKING OATH.

A person becomes affiliated with a political party when the person takes an oath of affiliation as provided by Section 162.007 or 162.008 .

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.007. AFFILIATION PROCEDURE: TAKING OATH AT PRECINCT CONVENTION.

(a) This section applies only to a precinct convention held under this title by a political party making nominations by convention. (b) On admitting a person for participation in the convention, the temporary chair shall administer to the person the following oath: "I swear that I have not voted in a primary election or participated in a convention of another party during this voting year. I hereby affiliate myself with the __________ Party." (c) After administering the oath, the temporary chair shall request the person's registration certificate and stamp the party's name in the party affiliation space unless the party name has already been stamped in the space. If the person does not present a registration certificate, the temporary chair on the person's request shall issue the person an affiliation certificate.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.008. AFFILIATION PROCEDURE: TAKING OATH GENERALLY.

(a) A person may affiliate with a political party at any time by taking an oath of affiliation. (b) On request of a person desiring to affiliate with a political party, a member of the county executive committee for the county in which the person resides or other person authorized by party rule shall administer the following oath: "I swear that I have not voted in a primary election or participated in a convention of another party during this voting year. I hereby affiliate myself with the __________ Party." (c) After administering the oath, the committee member or authorized person may stamp the party's name in the party affiliation space unless the party name has already been stamped in the space. If the person does not present a registration certificate, the committee member or authorized person on the person's request shall issue the person an affiliation certificate. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 3102 ), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2013.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.009. CONTENTS OF AFFILIATION CERTIFICATE.

The authority issuing an affiliation certificate under this chapter shall enter on the certificate: (1) the name of the person to whom the certificate is issued; (2) the name of the political party of the affiliation; (3) the name and official position of the issuing authority; (4) the party function at which the affiliation occurred, if applicable; and (5) the date of affiliation.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.010. DURATION OF AFFILIATION.

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a party affiliation expires at the end of the voting year in which the person became affiliated. (b) A party affiliation made in an odd-numbered year expires on the first day on which a person may file an application for a place on the general primary election ballot. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 3102 ), Sec. 3, eff. June 14, 2013.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.011. PRESENTATION OF FALSE EVIDENCE OF AFFILIATION PROHIBITED.

(a) A person commits an offense if for the purpose of participating in a political party's convention or other party meeting or event the person presents to a party official: (1) an affiliation certificate that the person knows was not issued in compliance with this chapter; or (2) a voter registration certificate with a party affiliation stamp that the person knows was not obtained in compliance with this chapter. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 3102 ), Sec. 4, eff. June 14, 2013.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.012. INELIGIBILITY TO AFFILIATE WITH ANOTHER PARTY.

A person who is affiliated with a political party is ineligible to become affiliated with another political party during the same voting year.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.013. VOID VOTE.

A vote in a primary election is void if the voter previously voted in a primary election of another party or participated in a convention of another party during the same voting year.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.014. UNLAWFUL PARTICIPATION IN PARTY AFFAIRS.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly votes or attempts to vote in a primary election or participates or attempts to participate in a convention of a party after having voted in a primary election or participated in a convention of another party during the same voting year. (b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. (c) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree if the conduct constituting an offense under Subsection (a) consists of knowingly voting in a primary election after having voted in a primary election of another party during the same voting year. (d) An offense under this section is a state jail felony if the conduct constituting an offense under Subsection (a) consists of knowingly attempting to vote in a primary election after having voted in a primary election of another party during the same voting year.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.015. RESTRICTIONS ON CANDIDACY IN GENERAL ELECTION BY CANDIDATE OR VOTER IN PRIMARY.

(a) A person who voted at a primary election or who was a candidate for nomination in a primary is ineligible for a place on the ballot for the succeeding general election for state and county officers as: (1) an independent candidate for an office for which a candidate was nominated in the primary; or (2) the nominee of a political party other than the party holding the primary in which the person voted or was a candidate. (b) A person who was a candidate for nomination in a primary election is ineligible for a place on the list of write-in candidates for the succeeding general election for state and county officers as a write-in candidate for the office sought by that candidate in the primary.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.016. WITHDRAWN CONVENTION NOMINEE INELIGIBLE FOR ANOTHER NOMINATION.

If a person nominated by a convention withdraws from the general election for state and county officers, the person is ineligible for a place on the general election ballot as the party's nominee for another office unless the second nomination is for an unexpired term for which the vacancy occurred too late for a convention to make a nomination under Section 202.005 .

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.017. PREREGISTRATION.

(a) A political party holding a precinct convention may preregister attendees for the convention by electronic means or any other method the party may adopt by rule. (b) The party may, through the preregistration process, collect the following information from attendees: (1) demographic data; (2) information needed to organize and prepare records of the convention; and (3) any additional information required by party rule. (c) In a presidential election year, the party may collect through preregistration declarations of support for presidential candidates or a statement of uncommitted status. The party may by rule use this information to aid in the selection of delegates to its county or senatorial district convention. (d) If a political party collects declarations of support for presidential candidates or a statement of uncommitted status through preregistration under Subsection (c), it must employ a process by which an attendee may change the attendee's stated preference before the precinct convention. (e) The preregistration process must include the statement described by Section 162.004 (a) and require a preregistering attendee to affiliate with the party by taking the oath described in Section 162.007 (b). (f) The date and time at which preregistration opens and closes may be set by party rule. (g) A person who does not preregister to attend a precinct convention under this section may register in person at the convention and must have voting rights identical to those of a person who preregistered. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 3102 ), Sec. 5, eff. June 14, 2013.

Tex. ELEC Code § 162.0151. CANDIDACY PROHIBITED.

(a) A candidate who files an application for a place on the general primary election ballot or for nomination by convention with more than one political party in the same voting year shall be ineligible for: (1) a place on the ballot for a general primary election; (2) nomination by convention; and (3) the succeeding general election as: (A) an independent candidate in a partisan election; (B) the nominee of a political party; or (C) a write-in candidate in a partisan election. (b) A candidate's name shall be omitted from the general primary election ballot of each political party with which the candidate filed an application for a place on the ballot if, not later than the 10th day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election, the secretary of state determines that the candidate is ineligible under Subsection (a). (c) The secretary of state shall provide written notice to a candidate declared ineligible under this section. The notice required under this subsection shall inform the candidate: (1) of the candidate's ineligibility; (2) that the candidate may withdraw from the general primary election under Section 172.052 ; and (3) if the candidate refuses to withdraw, the candidate's name shall be omitted from the general primary election ballot. (d) The secretary of state shall prescribe any procedures necessary to implement this section. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 284 (S.B. 901 ), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2025.

Source: TX Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Fetched: 6/29/2026