1. Election Night Returns and Canvassing
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
2/23/2019
Election Night Returns and Canvassing
Louri O’Leary
17th Biennial Seminar for County Chairs
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

2. Election Night Returns
County Chair is responsible for:
Preparing unofficial results as precinct returns are returned/tabulated; including early voting; and
Providing unofficial tabulation to County Clerk/Elections Administrator throughout the night; and
Making periodic announcements of tabulation; and
Returning precinct returns and providing unofficial tabulation to County Clerk/Elections Administrator to preserve with other election records.
(A contract for election services may shift these duties to County Clerk/Elections Administrator.)
17th County Chair Seminar
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

3. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Submitting to SOS
County Clerk/Elections Administrator is responsible for submitting unofficial results to SOS.
SOS will send information to counties about how to submit returns electronically ahead of the primary.
Counties may begin submitting vote tallies at 7 p.m. on election day.
Counties will enter early voting tallies separately.
Information reported:
Votes cast for each contested federal office, statewide office, office of state senator, office of state representative, office of the State Board of Education, and any other unofficial results as determined by SOS (e.g. party referenda).
Number of provisional ballots.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

4. Dates of Canvass - Primary
Thursday, March 10 – Date to conduct local canvass.
Sunday, March 13 – Deadline to conduct state canvass for all races with potential runoffs (three or more candidates).
Wednesday, March 23 – Deadline to conduct state canvass for races with no potential runoff.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

5. Dates of Canvass – Runoff Primary
Thursday, June 2 – Date to conduct local canvass.
Saturday, June 11 – Deadline to conduct state canvass.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State

6. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Canvassing Authority
Local Canvass:
NEW LAW: Senate Bill 1073 changed canvassing authority from county executive committee to county chair, and if available, at least one member of the county executive committee.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

7. Texas Secretary of State
Canvassing Authority
State Canvasses:
NEW LAW: Senate Bill 1073 changed the canvassing authority from the state executive committee to the state chair.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State

8. Texas Secretary of State
Canvassing
Location of Local Canvass:
NEW LAW: Can conduct canvass at any location, but MUST provide notice on website. If your county party does not have a website, must post notice on commissioners court bulletin board.
Must provide 72 hours’ notice for canvass.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State

9. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Canvass Procedure
County Chair will prepare tabulation showing:
Total number of votes
Total number of provisional votes cast and counted
Total number of votes for each candidate in each precinct in early voting
Total number of votes for each candidate in each precinct.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

10. Texas Secretary of State Elections Division
Canvass Procedure
Canvassing authority will certify results.
NEW LAW: SB 1073 requires canvassed results to be posted to the SOS’ website. SOS is working on system, and you will receive information on how to transmit your canvassed results.
NEW LAW: SB 1073 requires SOS preserve and archive canvass results.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

11. Texas Secretary of State
Canvass Procedure
County Chairs MUST submit results of Local Canvass to State Chair not later than 24 hours after canvass:
March 11 for Primary Election.
June 3 for Runoff Primary Election.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State

12. Prohibited Activities
Ballot Box with voted ballots may NOT be opened at the canvass.
Only opened:
Completion of partial manual count, if required
Upon a court order
Official request for a recount
After 60-day locked box period
Ballots may not be recounted at canvass.
Poll list should not be compared with return sheet.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State Elections Division

13. Precinct-by-Precinct Results
In addition to canvass, must also submit precinct-by-precinct results:
NEW LAW: Senate Bill 1073 provides that the County Clerk will now prepare the results, but you as the County Chair must submit the precinct-by-precinct results not later than the 30th day after the primary.
SOS will send a separate memorandum on submitting these results.
2/23/2019
Texas Secretary of State