(a) Without the written consent of the secretary of state, the joint elections commission, county election commission, and county election board may not:
(1) accept a contribution of $1,000 or more, including the value of in-kind donations, offered by:
(A) a private individual;
(B) a business entity, including a:
(i) corporation;
(ii) partnership; or
(iii) trust; or
(C) another third party; or
(2) use a contribution described by Subdivision (1) to perform a function of administering elections.
(b) The secretary of state may grant consent under Subsection (a) only if:
(1) the secretary consults with the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives on the proposed donation; and
(2) the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives unanimously agree to the secretary’s grant of consent.

Terms Used In Texas Election Code 31.126

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • 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. See Texas Election Code 1.005
  • Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(c) The joint elections commission, county election commission, and county election board may accept a contribution of less than $1,000 only with written consent from the relevant political subdivision.
(d) This section does not prohibit the acceptance of:
(1) an in-kind contribution of food or beverage for election workers during the administration of an election;
(2) any state or federal funds administered or distributed by the secretary of state, including funds administered and distributed under § 31.009, or other state or federal funds made available to political subdivisions to perform a function related to elections; or
(3) an offer for use, without charge or for a reduced fee, of a public or private building or a portion of a building for the purposes of conducting an election, including for use as a polling place designated under Chapter 43.

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