Tex. Elec. Code § 52.031 · Subchapter B. NAME ON BALLOT
FORM OF NAME ON BALLOT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A candidate's name shall be printed on the ballot with the given name or initials first, followed by a nickname, if any, followed by the surname, in accordance with this section.
(a-1) A person may use any surname acquired by law or marriage.
(b) In combination with the surname, a candidate may use one or more of the following:
(1) a given name;
(2) a contraction or familiar form of a given name by which the candidate is known; or
(3) an initial of a given name.
(c) A nickname of one unhyphenated word of not more than 10 letters by which the candidate has been commonly known for at least three years preceding the election may be used in combination with a candidate's name. A nickname that constitutes a slogan or otherwise indicates a political, economic, social, or religious view or affiliation may not be used. A nickname may not be used unless the candidate executes and files with the application for a place on the ballot an affidavit indicating that the nickname complies with this subsection.
(d) A suffix such as "Sr.," "Jr.," or "2nd" may be used in combination with a candidate's name.
(e) A married woman or widow may use in combination with her surname, if the same as her husband's surname, the given name or initials of her husband with the prefix "Mrs."
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1349, Sec. 22, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1098 (H.B. 2075), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/EL/htm/EL.52.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 27fd558ce70e3df9147542dd20ee2b80ad395b45ca7a155314e651b00ab4f4da
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.