Internet Posting Requirements for Political Subdivisions

Requisitos de Publicación en Internet Para Subdivisiones Políticas

General Instructions

Please see the following general instructions regarding completion of the internet posting requirements for political subdivisions:

Political Subdivision’s Contact Information: List the political subdivision’s contact information, including a mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. 

Elected Officer of the Political Subdivision:  List the names of each elected or appointed public elective officer within the political subdivision and the year the officer’s term expires. For counties, this includes providing information regarding county and precinct officers. Counties are not required to list the names of statewide or district elective officers. 

Date and Location of the Next Election for Officers of the Political Subdivision: The political subdivision should provide the address of the main administrative office (i.e. the location a person would expect to file candidate applications). Although political subdivisions must include information regarding the date of the next general election for officers, the best practice would include posting the date of a special election for an officer as soon as possible after such special election is ordered. Political subdivisions may also provide a link to the Notice of Election once same has been issued for an election. 

Requirements and Deadline for Filing for Candidacy: Please note, the requirements and deadline for filing for candidacy of each elected office of the political subdivision must be continuously posted for at least one year before the Election Day for the office. The online posting need not refer to Ethics Commission filing requirements for candidates.

Regarding the candidacy deadline, the best practice would be to include the candidate filing deadline for general elections, the candidate filing deadline for any special elections which have been ordered to fill a vacancy, and the write-in candidate deadline. 

In regards to the requirements for filing for candidacy, at a minimum, the political subdivision must provide a statement of candidate requirements including form, content, and procedure. This includes, for example: (a) the type of candidate application form needed, along with a link to the candidate application, and (b) information regarding whether there is a candidate filing fee and how much, or whether there is a petition in lieu of a filing fee available, as well as a link to such petition. 

The political subdivision must additionally post the qualifications for office which are specific to your entity. This includes, for example, how long the candidate must be a resident of the state and/or the territory elected from, whether the candidate needs to be a registered voter, and other pertinent candidate eligibility requirements relevant to the political subdivision. The political subdivision may also provide a link to Section 141.001 of the Election Code, if applicable (which details eligibility requirements for public office), and/or also provide a link to other sections of relevant codes or a city’s charter, which may also provide specific candidate eligibility requirements for the entity.  

Requirements for Posting Notice of Meetings and Record of Meetings of Political Subdivision’s Governing Body: Our office recommends consulting with your political subdivision’s local counsel regarding this particular posting requirement. 

The requirements for posting notice of meetings and record of meetings of the political subdivision’s governing body does not apply to: (1)  a county with a population of less than 10,000;

2. a municipality with a population of less than 5,000 located in a county with a population of less than 25,000; or
3. a school district with a population of less than 5,000 in the district's boundaries and located in a county with a population of less than 25,000.

Please see the following guides available on the Secretary of State’s website that your political subdivision may find helpful in providing and posting candidate information:

Terms, Qualifications, and Vacancies

VR for Candidates (HB 484) FAQ

Candidacy for Local Political Subdivisions

2020 Candidate’s Guide – Running for Federal, State, District or County offices.

Running for Local Offices