Sec. 1.012.  PUBLIC INSPECTION OF ELECTION RECORDS.  (a)  Subject to Subsection (b), an election record that is public information shall be made available to the public during the regular business hours of the record's custodian.
(b)  For the purpose of safeguarding the election records or economizing the custodian's time, the custodian may adopt reasonable rules limiting public access.
(c)  Except as otherwise provided by this code or Chapter 552, Government Code, all election records are public information.
(d)  In this code, "election record" includes:
(1)  anything distributed or received by government under this code;
(2)  anything required by law to be kept by others for information of government under this code;  or
(3)  a certificate, application, notice, report, or other document or paper issued or received by government under this code.
(e)  Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (g), an election record shall be available not later than the 15th day after election day in an electronic format for a fee of not more than $50.
(f)  Beginning on the first day after the date the final canvass of an election is completed, the general custodian of election records shall make available for public inspection election records that are:
(1)  images of voted ballots, if a county maintains images of voted ballots; or
(2)  cast vote records.
(g)  Beginning on the 61st day after election day, the general custodian of election records shall make available for public inspection election records that are original voted ballots.
(h)  The custodian shall adopt procedures to ensure the redaction of any personally identifiable information of the voter contained on a ballot before making the voted ballot available for public inspection.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 728, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.95(88), eff. Sept. 1, 1995;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 393, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1215 (S.B. 902), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 894 (H.B. 5180), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.