House Committee on Elections

Committee Leadership

Chair

Matt Shaheen (R)

House District 66

Plano

Vice Chair

Bucy III, John (D)

House District 136

Austin

Committee Composition

Committee Membership

Shaheen, Matt (R) House District 66 Plano Bucy III, John (D) House District 136 Austin Isaac, Carrie (R) House District 73 Wimberley Morales Shaw, Penny (D) House District 113 Houston Plesa, Mihaela (D) House District 70 Dallas Raymond, Richard Peña (D) House District 42 Laredo Swanson, Valoree (R) House District 150 Spring Toth, Steve (R) House District 15 The Woodlands Wilson, Terry (R) House District 20 Georgetown

Most Recent Session Activity

Metrics reflect activity during the most recent legislative session.

Interim Charges

• Monitoring: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of all legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature to ensure that legislative purposes are properly implemented, including the following:
  • SB 827, relating to the audit of an election using an electronic voting system.
• Citizenship and Voting: Study the integrity of the voting procedures in Texas, including voter registration and voter-roll maintenance, and make recommendations to ensure that only U.S. citizens are able to register and vote in Texas.
• Voter Registration: Study the state’s voter registration processes and systems by conducting an inventory of the systems used by counties that are offline and analyzing the impact of supporting multiple software systems across the state. Recommend ways to streamline voter-roll maintenance and improve efficiency.
• Election Timelines: Examine statutory timelines related to the administration of elections, including key deadlines. Evaluate the need to make adjustments to improve election administration, transparency, and voter access.
• Technology in Elections: Study the growing role of new and rapidly evolving technologies in the election process and political communications.
• Integration of Early and Election Day Voting: Monitor the implementation of SB 2753, relating to the integration of early voting by personal appearance and election day voting, including the manner in which election returns are processed and other related changes. Monitor the working group led by the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) in conjunction with counties. Monitor the statutorily required SOS report and its recommendations for proper implementation. Identify any administrative, funding, or operational issues that may warrant legislative consideration.
• Election Administration Staffing Needs: Study the challenges faced by election officials in finding volunteers and staff for early-voting and election days. Identify methods or programs to increase the number of election workers necessary to administer elections.
• Election Transparency and Ballot Privacy: Survey the entities and types of election-related information subject to the Texas Public Information Act. Additionally, review ballot privacy and security requirements. Make recommendations to increase transparency, protect the public’s right to review and inspect election records, and ensure ballot secrecy remains intact.
• Agency Oversight: Pursuant to the broad oversight responsibilities granted to the Committee under Section 301.014, Government Code, and the House Rules of Procedure, monitor the agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable. The jurisdiction of the Elections Committee includes the following agencies:
  • The Office of the Secretary of State.