Reader, thank you so much for asking a question about petitions as this issue has been brought to my attention recently. Other readers have also questioned the requirements of a political petition, including a current petition requesting the recall of a local city mayor.

The Texas Election Code provides the rules applicable to a petition, including:
• A signer’s signature must be in his or her handwriting, but other information can be filled in by someone else;
• A signer’s printed name, address, date of birth or voter registration number, and signing date must be included in the petition;
• A signature must be from a “qualified voter”—that is, a registered voter who registered to vote in Texas;
• A singular invalid signature does not invalidate the entire petition;
• A spouse cannot sign for his or her spouse;
• A signer must sign the petition within six months, or 180 days, of the petition being filed;
• A signer cannot withdraw his or her signature from a petition once it is filed; and
• A petition cannot, generally, be added to, modified or amended after it is filed.