(a) If the secretary of state implements administrative oversight under § 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 § 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.

Terms Used In Texas Election Code 31.020

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • 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. See Texas Election Code 1.005
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(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 § 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.

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