2023 Texas Statutes › Election Code › Title 1 - Introductory Provisions › Chapter 1 - General Provisions › Section 1.005. Definitions

Sec. 1.005.  DEFINITIONS.  In this code:
(1)  "City secretary" includes a city clerk or, in a city that has no city secretary or clerk, the city officer who performs the duties of a city secretary.
(2)  "County election precinct" means an election precinct established under Section 42.001.
(3)  "County office" means an office of the county government that is voted on countywide.
(4)  "District office" means an office of the federal or state government that is not voted on statewide.
(4-a)  "Election official" means:
(A)  a county clerk;
(B)  a permanent or temporary deputy county clerk;
(C)  an elections administrator;
(D)  a permanent or temporary employee of an elections administrator;
(E)  an election judge;
(F)  an alternate election judge;
(G)  an early voting clerk;
(H)  a deputy early voting clerk;
(I)  an election clerk;
(J)  the presiding judge of an early voting ballot board;
(K)  the alternate presiding judge of an early voting ballot board;
(L)  a member of an early voting ballot board;
(M)  the chair of a signature verification committee;
(N)  the vice chair of a signature verification committee;
(O)  a member of a signature verification committee;
(P)  the presiding judge of a central counting station;
(Q)  the alternate presiding judge of a central counting station;
(R)  a central counting station manager;
(S)  a central counting station clerk;
(T)  a tabulation supervisor;
(U)  an assistant to a tabulation supervisor; and
(V)  a chair of a county political party holding a primary election or a runoff primary election.
(4-b)  "Federal judge" means:
(A)  a judge, former judge, or retired judge of a United States court of appeals;
(B)  a judge, former judge, or retired judge of a United States district court;
(C)  a judge, former judge, or retired judge of a United States bankruptcy court; or
(D)  a magistrate judge, former magistrate judge, or retired magistrate judge of a United States district court.
(5)  "Final canvass" means the canvass from which the official result of an election is determined.
(6)  "General election" means an election, other than a primary election, that regularly recurs at fixed dates.
(7)  "General election for state and county officers" means the general election at which officers of the federal, state, and county governments are elected.
(8)  "Gubernatorial general election" means the general election held every four years to elect a governor for a full term.
(9)  "Independent candidate" means a candidate in a nonpartisan election or a candidate in a partisan election who is not the nominee of a political party.
(10)  "Law" means a constitution, statute, city charter, or city ordinance.
(11)  "Local canvass" means the canvass of the precinct election returns.
(12)  "Measure" means a question or proposal submitted in an election for an expression of the voters' will.
(13)  "Political subdivision" means a county, city, or school district or any other governmental entity that:
(A)  embraces a geographic area with a defined boundary;
(B)  exists for the purpose of discharging functions of government;  and
(C)  possesses authority for subordinate self-government through officers selected by it.
(14)  "Primary election" means an election held by a political party under Chapter 172 to select its nominees for public office, and, unless the context indicates otherwise, the term includes a presidential primary election.
(15)  "Proposition" means the wording appearing on a ballot to identify a measure.
(16)  "Registered voter" means a person registered to vote in this state whose registration is effective.
(17)  "Residence address" means the street address and any apartment number, or the address at which mail is received if the residence has no address, and the city, state, and zip code that correspond to a person's residence.
(18)  "Special election" means an election that is not a general election or a primary election.
(18-a)  "State judge" means:
(A)  a judge, former judge, or retired judge of an appellate court, a district court, a constitutional county court, a county court at law, or a statutory probate court of this state;
(B)  an associate judge appointed under Chapter 201, Family Code, or a retired associate judge or former associate judge appointed under that chapter;
(C)  a magistrate or associate judge appointed under Chapter 54 or 54A, Government Code;
(D)  a justice of the peace; or
(E)  a municipal court judge.
(19)  "Statewide office" means an office of the federal or state government that is voted on statewide.
(20)  Repealed by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 404 (H.B. 25), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2020.
(21)  "Uniform election date" means an election date prescribed by Section 41.001.
(22)  "Voting station" means the voting booth or other place where voters mark their ballots or otherwise indicate their votes at a polling place.
(23)  "Voting year" means the 12-month period beginning January 1 of each year.
(24)  "Presidential primary election" means an election held under Subchapter A, Chapter 191, at which a political party's voters are given an opportunity to express their preferences for the party's presidential candidates, or for an "uncommitted" status if provided by party rule, for the purpose of determining the allocation of the party's delegates from this state to the party's national presidential nominating convention.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1986, 69th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch. 14, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1987;  Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 436, Sec. 9, eff. Sept. 1, 1989;  Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 472, Sec. 52, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.
Amended by:
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 404 (H.B. 25), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2020.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1146 (H.B. 2910), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., 2nd C.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 1), Sec. 1.06, eff. December 2, 2021.