2023 Texas Statutes › Election Code › Title 9 - Candidates › Chapter 141 - Candidacy for Public Office Generally › Subchapter B. Application for Place on Ballot › Section 141.031. General Requirements for Application

Sec. 141.031.  GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION.  (a)  A candidate's application for a place on the ballot that is required by this code must:
(1)  be in writing;
(2)  be signed and sworn to before a person authorized to administer oaths in this state by the candidate and indicate the date that the candidate swears to the application;
(3)  be timely filed with the appropriate authority; and
(4)  include:
(A)  the candidate's name;
(B)  the candidate's occupation;
(C)  the office sought, including any place number or other distinguishing number;
(D)  an indication of whether the office sought is to be filled for a full or unexpired term if the office sought and another office to be voted on have the same title but do not have place numbers or other distinguishing numbers;
(E)  a statement that the candidate is a United States citizen;
(F)  a statement that the candidate has not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
(i)  totally mentally incapacitated; or
(ii)  partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
(G)  an indication that the candidate has either not been finally convicted of a felony or if so convicted has been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities;
(H)  the candidate's date of birth;
(I)  the candidate's residence address or, if the residence has no address, the address at which the candidate receives mail and a concise description of the location of the candidate's residence;
(J)  the candidate's length of continuous residence in the state and in the territory from which the office sought is elected as of the date the candidate swears to the application;
(K)  the statement: "I, __________, of __________ County, Texas, being a candidate for the office of __________, swear that I will support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and of the State of Texas";
(L)  a statement that the candidate is aware of the nepotism law, Chapter 573, Government Code; and
(M)  a public mailing address at which the candidate receives correspondence relating to the candidate's campaign, if available, and an electronic mail address at which the candidate receives correspondence relating to the candidate's campaign, if available.
(a-1)  A person who has been convicted of a felony shall include in the application proof that the person is eligible for public office under Section 141.001(a)(4).
(b)  Instead of the statement required by Subsection (a)(4)(F), a candidate eligible for office because of Section 1.020(a) shall include in the application a statement that the person's mental capacity has been completely restored by a final judgment of a court.
(c)  Instead of the statement required by Subsection (a)(4)(F), a candidate eligible for office because of Section 1.020(b) shall include in the application a statement that the person's guardianship has been modified to include the right to vote or the person's mental capacity has been completely restored, as applicable, by a final judgment of a court.
(d)  The secretary of state may prescribe a different form for an application for a place on the ballot for each of the following:
(1)  an office of the federal government;
(2)  an office of the state government; or
(3)  an office of a political party.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 427, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1987;  Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 107, Sec. 3A.03, eff. Aug. 30, 1993;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.95(26), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 614 (H.B. 417), Sec. 29, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1178 (S.B. 910), Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1179 (S.B. 1073), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 469 (H.B. 2157), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 828 (H.B. 1735), Sec. 22, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1006 (H.B. 4555), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.