Tex. Election Code § 31.020
This is the official text of Tex. Election Code § 31.020, part of Texas’s Election Code — governs how elections are conducted.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 31.020. COUNTY ELECTION OFFICE OVERSIGHT BY SECRETARY.
Official statutory text
(a) If the secretary of state implements administrative oversight under Section 31.017, the secretary shall provide written notice to the county election official with authority over election administration or voter registration and the county judge of the determination by the secretary to implement administrative oversight in the county. The notice must include the specific recurring pattern of problems with election administration or voter registration identified by the secretary under Section 31.017(a)(3).
(b) The authority of administrative oversight over a county granted to the secretary of state under this subchapter must include:
(1) requiring the approval and review by the secretary of state of any policies or procedures regarding the administration of elections issued by the county; and
(2) authorizing all appropriate personnel in the secretary of state's office to conduct in-person observations of the county election office's activities, including any activities related to election preparation, early voting, election day, and post-election day procedures.
(c) The county election office being overseen by the secretary of state shall provide sufficient access to the appropriate personnel in the secretary of state's office to perform their duties under Subsection (b).
(d) Once each quarter during the period when the secretary of state is overseeing elections in a county under Subsection (a), the secretary shall submit a report regarding the activities of the oversight personnel to the members of the county election commission and the county attorney.
(e) The secretary of state shall deliver the report required by Subsection (d) in person to the county commissioners court if requested by the commissioners court.
(f) The secretary of state shall conduct the administrative oversight of a county until the earlier of:
(1) December 31 of the even-numbered year following the first anniversary of the date the complaint was received under Section 31.017(a)(1); or
(2) the date on which the secretary of state determines that the recurring pattern of problems with election administration or voter registration is rectified.
(b) The authority of administrative oversight over a county granted to the secretary of state under this subchapter must include:
(1) requiring the approval and review by the secretary of state of any policies or procedures regarding the administration of elections issued by the county; and
(2) authorizing all appropriate personnel in the secretary of state's office to conduct in-person observations of the county election office's activities, including any activities related to election preparation, early voting, election day, and post-election day procedures.
(c) The county election office being overseen by the secretary of state shall provide sufficient access to the appropriate personnel in the secretary of state's office to perform their duties under Subsection (b).
(d) Once each quarter during the period when the secretary of state is overseeing elections in a county under Subsection (a), the secretary shall submit a report regarding the activities of the oversight personnel to the members of the county election commission and the county attorney.
(e) The secretary of state shall deliver the report required by Subsection (d) in person to the county commissioners court if requested by the commissioners court.
(f) The secretary of state shall conduct the administrative oversight of a county until the earlier of:
(1) December 31 of the even-numbered year following the first anniversary of the date the complaint was received under Section 31.017(a)(1); or
(2) the date on which the secretary of state determines that the recurring pattern of problems with election administration or voter registration is rectified.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.